In Season Now | Plums & Plum Crumble

August is one of those months where you want to savor each and every moment from long sunny days, low key weekends to of course, seasonal fruits and vegetables. Plums are one of those versatile fruits that can be enjoyed in sweet or savory dishes—I love them on top of ricotta. Here, various varieties are macerated in brown sugar and topped with (addicting) crumb topping inflected with cinnamon and hints of sea salt, a delicious way to end a summer dinner.

Photography & Styling by Alison Engstrom

Plum Crumble

Makes 4 Ramekins or One Crumble

1 cup flour

1 cup old-fashioned oats

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and diced

2 pints of plums (yellow, purple, red), pits removed and cut into four pieces

1/4 cup sugar*

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Generously butter ramekins or pie plate, set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, cinnamon, salt and brown sugar, stir to combine. Using a pastry cutter or hands, cut butter into mixture until it begins to come together and forms clumps when gathered in the palm of your hands. Next prepare plums; add cut fruit and sugar into a small bowl, stir combine. Allow to set for at least ten minutes to let the flavors macerate. Spoon evenly into four ramekins and top with a generous amount of crumb topping. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until crumb topping is golden and fruit is bubbling. Serve warm or at room temperature.

* Always taste your fruit! Especially ripe produce doesn’t need as much sugar as fruit that isn’t at the peak of ripeness.

Crumb topping recipe from Dessert Person by Claire Saffitz