Featured Recipe
Nectarine Apricot Pouding-Croustade
By Kate
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A warm fruit dessert built on stewed nectarines and apricots, topped with a tender cake layer and crunchy nut crumble. Uses lemon juice for brightness, subtle spices for depth, and a mix of corn and arrowroot starch for thickening. Balanced sweetness with light caramel notes and a hint of vanilla. A comforting finish with textural contrast.
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Prep:
40 min
Cook:
50 min
Total:
Serves:
8 servings
dessert
baking
fruit
French-Canadian
Introduction
Sticky syrup bubbling around chunks of warm nectarines and apricots. Zesty lime zest sharpens the mix, slicing through sugars. Next layer, batter richer than typical fruit crisp, feather-soft with a hint of tang. On top, crackling ginger-spiced nut crumble, dry, sandy texture that snaps against moist cake. Oven timer ignored, watch color instead. Fruit breaks down but holds shape, steam escaping softly as a sign. Cake rises, golden. Serve warm with melting vanilla ice cream pooling on edges, melds hot and cold, crunchy and smooth. Practical, approachable dessert. Switch nuts. Use lemon if lime’s lacking. No fuss, no surprises.
Ingredients
Fruits
- 120 g sugar (about 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp)
- 80 ml water (just over 1/3 cup)
- 20 ml arrowroot powder (about 1 1/2 tbsp) or substitute with corn starch
- 1 lime zest and juice instead of lemon
- 560 g nectarines, pitted and quartered (about 5 nectarines)
- 530 g apricots, pitted and quartered (about 8 apricots)
- 75 g brown sugar (scant 1/3 cup)
- 45 g unbleached all-purpose flour (about 1/3 cup)
- 40 g walnuts, chopped (replace pecans)
- 35 g melted unsalted butter (2 1/2 tbsp)
- 3 ml ground ginger (1/2 tsp, replace cardamom)
- 3 ml cinnamon (1/2 tsp)
- 1.25 ml fine sea salt (1/4 tsp)
- 100 ml whole milk (just under 1/2 cup)
- 5 ml fresh lime juice (1 tsp)
- 100 g unbleached all-purpose flour (2/3 cup)
- 6 ml baking powder (1 1/4 tsp)
- 0.5 ml salt (1/8 tsp)
- 70 g granulated sugar (1/3 cup)
- 50 ml olive oil or vegetable oil (1/5 cup)
- 5 ml pure vanilla extract (1 tsp)
- 1 large egg
Crumble
Cake
About the ingredients
Sugar reduced slightly for more balanced sweetness; fruit quantity lowered by 10-15% to keep moist ratio right for thickening. Arrowroot replaces corn starch for glossier syrup and clean flavor. Swapped lemon zest and juice for lime for brightness and aromatic twist. Walnuts in crumble: easier to find, toasted for added depth, replacing pecans. Ginger replaces cardamom — more common, warmer spice that pairs better with stone fruits—while cinnamon stays to maintain spice warmth. Cake flour reduced, baking powder increased slightly, milk volume raised for softer crumb. Olive oil optional; can use vegetable or canola for neutral flavor. Folding technique emphasized to avoid dense cake. Common pitfalls: over-boiling fruit mix breaks it down too fast; overmixing batter kills tenderness; forgetting the baking sheet under pan leads to oven mess. Never underestimate the telltale golden hue on the crust when baking fruit desserts.
Method
Fruits
- Preheat oven to 175 °C (350 °F). Position rack midway. Line baking sheet with parchment or silicone mat. Avoid foil—it traps steam underneath.
- Combine sugar, water, arrowroot, lime zest and juice in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan off heat. Add fruit pieces. Stir to coat evenly. Turn heat to medium-high. Once bubbling gently, stir constantly until mixture thickens and becomes glossy. About 3 minutes. Avoid vigorous boil to prevent breaking fruit too soon.
- Transfer fruit with syrup carefully into a 2-liter (8 cup) deep baking dish. Shake gently so fruit settles evenly but syrup isn't lost.
- In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, chopped walnuts, melted butter, ginger, cinnamon and salt. Press and rub with fingers until mixture just sticks together but remains crumbly. Wet crumble flattens and loses crunch.
- Set aside at room temp.
- Mix milk and lime juice in small cup. Let rest 5 minutes to mimic buttermilk — this tenderizes cake and adds subtle tang.
- In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Keeps leavening even, no clumps.
- Whisk sugar, oil, vanilla, and egg until combined but do not overbeat. Overmixing toughens cake.
- Fold dry ingredients alternately with milk mixture, starting and ending with dry. Stir just until last streak disappears. A few lumps are fine.
- Spoon batter evenly over fruit in baking dish. Gently level surface with spatula; don’t press down into fruit layer.
- Sprinkle crumble evenly over cake batter. Keep crumbs loosely spread so air can circulate and crisp edges form.
- Place dish on baking sheet. Bake about 48 minutes. Watch color. Should be golden on top and edges bubbling fruit underneath. Cake springs back lightly when pressed. Insert skewer in center: remove when it comes out with only moist crumbs, no wet batter.
- Cool on wire rack for 15-20 mins, so juices thicken further and crumble sets crisp.
- Serve warm or slightly cooled. Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream lifts texture contrast.
- Citrus swap: Lime adds brightness without bitterness. Lemon works fine too.
- Thickener choice: Arrowroot yields shinier finish and clearer syrup than corn starch; either works. Avoid tapioca—it’s too heavy here.
- Fruit ripeness crucial: Firmer, less ripe nectarines hold shape better, apricots soften but risk mushiness if overcooked.
- Crumble nuts: Walnuts for earthiness; pecans or hazelnuts fine substitutes. Toast them lightly to boost aroma before chopping.
- Oil type: Olive oil adds subtle fruity note; neutral oils keep flavors clean.
- Milk acidity: Using lime or lemon juice in milk mimics buttermilk, tenderizes crumb and balances sweetness.
- Mixing cake batter: Gentle folding prevents overdeveloped gluten and dense texture.
- Always place on baking sheet: Prevents caramelized syrup overflow from burning oven.
- Timing tips: Oven temps fluctuate; watch fruit bubbling and cake browning as signals to test doneness.
- If cake browns too fast but not cooked through, tent loosely with foil mid-bake.
- Serve day of baking; fruit releases too much juice and crumble softens on sitting.
Crumble
Cake
Notes
Technique Tips
Step order rearranged for clarity and flow: start preheat, prep fruit compote first so it cools slightly before adding batter (helps layers stay distinct). Cooker attention on syrup thickening: stir constantly, low boil to prevent separation. Transferring fruit gently avoids breaking mezzo texture. Crumble mixed just until crumbly; wet crumble won’t crisp. Cake batter rested lime milk allows acid-base reaction, tender crumb. Mixing: fold dry and wet alternately to keep muffins-like texture; lumps allowed. Batter spread gently to avoid sinking fruit. Topping technique: scatter crumble loosely for texture, not a packed layer. Baking on sheet catches boil-overs, prevents burnt smells. Testing doneness focuses on visual cues: bubbling edges and golden top, springy surface, clean toothpick with moist crumbs. Cooling crucial; juices thicken upon standing, crumble hardens. Serve within hours — leftover soggier fast. Great alongside cold vanilla ice cream or whipped cream to contrast warm tangy fruit and crunchy topping.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Use firmer nectarines. They hold shape better. Riper ones risk mushy texture. For apricots, keep an eye on ripeness. Firm, slightly under-ripe works well. Monitor closely; not too soft.
- 💡 For the crumble: mix until it just clumps together. Too wet, and it won’t crisp. Want a sandy texture. Walnuts add earthiness. But pecans? Good substitute. Heat before chopping for more aroma.
- 💡 Watch baking closely. Golden color is key. That’s when the topping will be crispy. Edges should bubble. If browning fast but not cooked through? Cover loosely with foil. Prevents burning while cake sets.
- 💡 Cooling is crucial. Let it rest. Juices thicken, crumble firms. Serve warm, but don’t skip this step. Otherwise, it can get soggy fast. Better fresh, serve within hours for best contrast.
- 💡 For swapping milk, really can use any liquid here. Coconut milk adds an interesting twist. Buttermilk? Great for tenderness. Just ensure you adjust acid factors—balance is important.
