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As far as dessert is concerned, I’m definitely a fruit girl.

None of these molten chocolate cakes or flourless fudge delights for me. When it comes to the end of a meal, I’m much more likely to choose cheese or coffee over something sweet, and if I am going to go the dolce route, it’s probably going to be lemon. Or pie.

Pie is one of those things that is just incredible, no matter who made it, where you got it, or how much of it you eat. When it comes to pie, I love buying the pre-made pies from a farm close to my Long Island house, heating them in the oven and having them à la mode with vanilla ice cream. Nothing fancy… just good.

When it comes to making pie, however… I get cold feet. Maybe it’s because I love pie so much… I’m scared to mess it up. Whatever the reason, when it comes to pie plates, the only thing being made in mine is crumble. This crumble. Which I love.

Stone Fruit Crumble

¾ cup flour
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup crumbled sliced almonds
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick cold butter, sliced into pats
1 pound stone fruit, washed and sliced

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Mix flour, cup sugar, cup crumbled sliced almonds, and salt. Add butter and mix with hands until butter is in small pieces and coated. Spread fruit in a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish glass pie plate and sprinkle topping over it.

Bake crumble in middle of oven until fruit is tender and topping is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Note: The crumble works with nearly any fruit, although you may need to adjust baking times. Harder fruits like apples and pears will need a longer baking time, and softer fruit like berries will need less. With sweet fruits that have less tartness, add about a tablespoon of lemon juice and toss with the fruit before adding the topping. I usually use a mix of plums, peaches and green plums, so the tartness is already there.

Note 2: You can substitute oats for the almonds (or add both!) Also, depending upon the fruit used, spices can be added to the crumble topping, such as cinnamon for apples or aniseed for pears.

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