Nothing says spring more than the zesty, fresh flavor of lemons. I think this lemon dessert is the perfect way to celebrate spring.
Crumbles are a true British dessert, which can be made any time of the year. They are believed to have originated around the time of World War II which brought the world to a standstill; shops were closed, people were left unemployed. As the war progressed, food scarcity became a major scare and due to inflation and rationing, the accessibility to basic food ingredients became a problem. In these hostile times, British housewives came up with many recipes; some of these recipes were lost in time, but some stayed and even gained cult status with time. One such British recipe is that of ‘apple crumble’.
Typically, crumbles use soft fruit like apples, pears, rhubarb or plums, but berries or even a lemon filling can be used. The crumb topping can be made with flour, nuts, breadcrumbs, cookie or graham cracker crumbs, or even breakfast cereal.
This dessert is very different from the usual crumble. You start with a crumble crust/ topping but the filling is uncooked. It is so nice with fresh lemon juice and zest in it. As it bakes, it becomes almost gel-like and the top crumbles soak slightly into the filling. The flavor of lemon always seems to give such a refreshing taste to everything its used in.
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- 1 cup flour
- 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, about 2 large lemons Use only fresh juice - not bottled
- Whipped topping for serving
Ingredients
Crust & Crumble Topping
Lemon Filling
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- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a large bowl, combine all topping ingredients. Mix well with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 cup of topping; set aside. Place remaining topping in a 14 x 4-inch baking pan pressing it up the sides as well as on the bottom. Set aside.
- Mix all filling ingredients well, then pour into crust.
- Place baking pan in oven & bake for 30- 35 minutes or until filling is set & crust is golden.
- Remove from oven & cool completely. This dessert is best refrigerated overnight or at least 6 hours. Cut into wedges or bars & serve with WHIPPED TOPPING.