Apple & Blueberry Crumble

If you’ve ever made my Chewy Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies, this recipe uses a very similar base for the crust. It’s savory, slightly sweet and just the right amount of gooey. It’s also gluten-free, but you would never know the difference - it’s that good!

I developed this recipe for my biweekly recipe column in The Westfield Leader. It was first published in the paper on September 10, page 12.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 (heaping) cups frozen blueberries

• 1 green apple peeled, cored, and diced small

• 3 tablespoons butter (and a little extra for greasing your pan)

• 3 and 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons almond flour

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 2 twists of the salt grinder (or about 1/4 teaspoon)

• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 3/4 cup maple syrup

• 4 tablespoons coconut oil

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Melt ~3 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a skillet over low heat

3. Once the butter is melted, add your frozen blueberries and diced apples

4. Add two tablespoons of brown sugar and mix well

5. Sauté until fruit is soft and the mixture starts to lightly simmer. The blueberries will start to burst (~10 minutes), making the fruit mixture a beautiful blue color. Remove from heat and set aside.

6. While the fruit is sautéing, start making your dough by mixing together almond flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and maple syrup

7. Melt your coconut oil in the microwave for about 20 seconds and add to the dough mixture

8. Grease a 9x9x2 baking pan with butter, coating the bottom of the pan and all sides

9. Save about 1 cup of the dough and set to the side

10. Pour the remaining dough into the baking sheet and spread it around until it covers the entire bottom of the pan (it will be sticky, and that’s okay! I find it’s easier to use hands during this step rather than a spatula)

11. Bake for 12 minutes or until the dough is lightly brown and has risen slightly

12. Pour your fruit mixture over the dough, making sure to include all the juices from the pan

13. In a separate bowl, mix together one tablespoon of brown sugar and one tablespoon of regular sugar

14. Sprinkle about half of your sugar mixture over the fruit

15. Crumble bits of your remaining dough over the top of the fruit

16. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture or use less if you like

17. Bake for 10 minutes or until the dough on the top is lightly brown. Let it cool and enjoy!

    *If you have leftovers, I recommend heating up a slice in the microwave before eating

Here’s the final product once baked