Apple Crumble

One of my favorite springtime dessert recipes is strawberry-rhubarb crumble from the smitten kitchen blog. I don't really share her feelings about proper proportions of fruit and topping, so I typically fill a 9x13 pan with fruit, and cover it with a single batch of the topping. I've always left out the Demerara sugar because it's sweet enough without, and I'm too lazy to buy some. I like to mix some oats into the topping for some extra texture, and replacing the flour with a combination of ground almond meal and teff flour can give some interesting flavors.

Here is the basic topping recipe:

• 1 1/3 cup flour, or a mixture of teff flour, almond flour, and oats
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• Zest of one lemon
• 1/4 pound (1 stick or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted 

Combine dry ingredients, then add the melted butter and mix until small and large clumps form. Refrigerate until needed.

I have had some success converting this recipe to an apple crumble, adding vanilla, cinnamon, a little sugar, the lemon juice, and some cornstarch into the apples. The teff, almond flour, and oats are particularly appealing in this case, and the lemon zest still adds a delicious touch.