This might be my favorite recipe of the spring. It’s simple, crumbly, and just look at that shade of pink! Plums are just the most beautiful and magical little fruits. This is my go to crumble topping and it’s the very best time of year for fruit crumbles. They can be adapted for any fruit you have on hand, require very few ingredients, can be made ahead of time and warmed up….really the possibilities are endless. This recipe uses black plums because there was a bounty of them a few weeks ago at my local market, but you can easily substitute any stone fruit (peaches, pears), apples, or berries or cherries. The important thing to remember when working with baked fruit desserts is to adjust your sugar and cornstarch levels based on the natural sweetness and liquid of the fruit you are working with. Taste your fruit first! If your plums are on the riper side and are fairly sweet when you bite into them, reduce the sugar a bit. If they’re on the tarter side, increase it to your preference. Fruits with a higher liquid content will produce more juice when macerating and baking, so a little more cornstarch may be needed for berries or cherries.

I love the addition of buckwheat flour to this crumble topping; it provides a nuttiness and complexity to an otherwise ordinary dessert. (It also makes this dessert gluten free, which can be helpful if you are sharing with friends.) If you don’t have buckwheat flour on hand, feel free to substitute all purpose flour, spelt flour, or whole wheat flour. I like a hefty crumble to fruit topping so this recipe makes a hearty amount. If you want to use less topping, the crumble can be stored in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Buckwheat and Black Plum Crumble

Yield: 4 small ramekins 

Ingredients: 

for the filling

1.5 lbs (about 3) large black plums, sliced

2 T (30 g) granulated sugar

2 T (30 g) brown sugar

1 T lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

for the topping

1/4 cup (35 g) buckwheat flour

1/2 cup (50 g) rolled oats

3 T (40 g) brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1/4 tsp kosher salt

4 T (57 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Procedure: 

1. Place plum slices in a large bowl. Add sugar, brown sugar, and lemon juice and toss to combine. Let sit about 30 minutes, while you make the crumble. 

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine buckwheat flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds to combine. 

3. Add cold butter to flour mixture and mix on medium speed until butter is evenly distributed and completely incorporated. (If making ahead of time, the crumble mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.)

4. Add cornstarch to plums and stir to incorporate. 

5. Preheat oven to 350° F. Divide fruit evenly among four small ramekins (or place in a 10” cast iron). Top with each with a thick layer of buckwheat crumble.

6. Bake for 35-40 minutes until fruit is bubbly and topping is golden brown. Let cool slightly and serve warm with ice cream. 

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