It’s cold and dark outside, and maybe you are craving something warm and bright.  Or maybe you want to serve a dessert that is homemade, but one that doesn’t take a lot of time to prepare.  Brighten up a dark winter evening with this cherry almond crumble.  The warm, baked cherries are a burst of flavor and color, just when you need it.  Quicker and easier than a pie, the crumble still allows you to enjoy the warm sweetness of baked fruit, but with a lightly sweet and crunchy topping, and only about fifteen minutes of prep time.

frozen cherries in pan 1Tart cherries freeze beautifully, so frozen tart cherries are available and delicious all year round.  This recipe (which I adapted from some of my other fruit crumble recipes, which I adapted over time, from countless sources) allows you to put the frozen cherries right in the baking dish, so you don’t even need to pre-cook them.  I especially like the tart Montmorency cherries from northern Michigan, because they taste amazing.  They are tart and sweet at the same time, and even after they are baked, they somehow still taste fresh to me.

cherry almond crumble on table 10My feelings for Michigan cherries run deep, and cherries are connected to many cherished memories for me, some of which I have already written about in previous posts.  But even without the memories, these cherries are so full of health benefits!  They have serious anti-inflammatory properties that are said to help soothe arthritis and sore muscles, among many other things.  Also, the topping, with its oats and almonds, has some good nutrition in it too.  The crumble is a more humble dessert than the pie, and it perhaps doesn’t look as glamorous (and it can be somewhat difficult to photograph too).  But it tastes just a good, and sometimes comfort, ease, and economy of time win over glamour.  I love it, and so does my family!

I hope you all have a great weekend, and stay warm! cherry almond crumble in pancherry almond crumble on table 3cherry almond crumble on white 6I am sharing this recipe with the great group of bloggers at Angie’s Fiesta Friday, co-hosted this week by Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook and Mr. Fitz @ Cooking With Mr. Fitz. 

Cherry Almond Crumble

  • Servings: 6-8
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Ingredients:

For the fruit filling:

  • 1 pound of frozen tart cherries (preferrably tart Montmorency cherries)
  • 2 tablespoons of sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of flour
  • a pinch of salt

For the topping:

  • 1/2 cup of flour
  • 3/4 cup of old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup of brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup of raw almonds, chopped or slivered
  • 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, and almonds for the topping.

In a 9 inch x 9 inch baking pan, spread out the frozen cherries.  Gently toss them with the 2 tablespoons each of sugar and flour, plus the pinch of salt, until well combined.

In the bowl with the topping ingredients, cut in the butter with a fork or a pastry cutter.  Continue to work in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the cherries.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the cherries are bubbling.

If you want the crumble to set, allow to cool for about 30 minutes.  Serve alone or with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  Enjoy!