sprinklefingers

summer is coming. at least i hope. seeing as how it’s been raining in oregon for the last 6 weeks straight, that’s kinda hard to believe. but, i have seen on the news that it’s been over 60 degrees in other parts of the country, so here’s hoping the same will soon happen for oregon.

anyways! summer brings so many delicious opportunities for crisps, cobblers, grunts, slumps, pandowdies, crumbles and more. fruit baked with some kind of topping is one of my favorite things to eat - especially with a few spoonfuls of perfect vanilla ice cream.

yesterday we talked about strawberry-rhubarb ‘crunchy pie’ - which is what my kid calls a crisp. or a crumble. (and you, most likely call it crisp or crumble too, depending upon which geographic portion of the world you call home.)

i shared with you a recipe for the ‘crunchy pie’ that featured an extra amount of the crumbly topping. i did this for two reasons:

1. so you could add extra crumbly topping to your crisp if you like it extra crumbly.
2.  so you would have some crumbly topping leftover to put in your freezer.

it may sound crazy, but making a larger batch of crumbly topping is a great way to speed up dessert making any night of the week. if you have a batch or two of the topping stowed away, all you really have to do is prep your fruit, mix it with sugar & whatever else you like, sprinkle on the pre-made crumbly top and bake. so easy. especially for summer!

freezing your crumbly topping:

1. make your crumbly topping (recipe here) - you can even double the batch if you’re feeling nutty!
2. sprinkle the right amount of topping on the crisp you’re currently creating.
3. place the remaining crumble in zip top freezer bags - it’s easiest if you portion the crumble out into bags so when you’re ready to bake your next crisp you can simply grab the right amount from the freezer.
4. on baking day, remove a bag of crumbly topping when you’re ready to use it. if it doesn’t break apart easily, simply let it sit for a few minutes until you can crumble it properly.

what do i mean by ‘right amount’ of topping?
well, i find that i really, really like an abundance of crumbly topping on my fruit desserts. and i think it’s only fair that you also get to decide how much topping you want on your desserts. but, seriously, a lot is so much better than a little. trust me.

more crisp/crumble talk soon. promise.