Crumble

Long ago on our honeymoon, we stayed at the Connaught Hotel in London, a bastion of comfortable English tradition. They served what I considered then, and still do, the finest of fruit crumbles. It was served very hot and had a thick golden crumb topping that was baked on top of perfectly cooked and sweetened fruit. Although the crumb topping was crisp on top, it remained pleasantly soft in the middle.

Homespun treats like cobblers and this crisp never go out of fashion for home cooks, but the past 12 months saw them show up on a lot of restaurant menus.

Summer's luscious cherries topped with oats, almonds, brown sugar and cinnamon.

Baked in individual ring molds, these little desserts feature caramelized pears, streusel topping and sweetened cream.

Got summer fruit and a few slices of staling sandwich bread? You’re just an hour away from this bubbling, juicy, cinnamon toast-y brown Betty.

This crumble isn’t just for seasonal citrus; use it on any roasted fruit, oatmeal, or even yogurt.

This simple process works for practically any fruit; gauge how much sugar to use based on the fruit’s sweetness, and try cardamom or ginger in place of cinnamon.

A Thanksgiving-worthy dessert that can be baked in your toaster oven? Yes, please!