This recipe, a mashup of a Honey Rosé Plum Cobbler from Better Homes & Gardens (the recipe is no longer online) and an article on How to Make a Fruit Crumble from The Kitchn, features one of my favorite things about summer—nectarines—plus two of the best things to complement them—almonds and rosé wine. I start making it as soon as good stone fruit shows up at my farmers market, and I keep making it until it’s gone.
Then I switch to pears. :)
Ever wondered about the difference between crisps, crumbles, and cobblers? Read my post and wonder no more.
Serves 8 to 10
- 3/4 cup rosé wine
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, divided
- 2 1/2 pounds ripe but not too soft nectarines, pitted and sliced (you should have about 8 cups)
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup almond meal or almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
In a small saucepan, whisk together the wine, cornstarch, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom and sides of the saucepan, until the mixture comes to a boil, thickens, and becomes translucent, 2 to 3 minutes (it will be jelly-like). Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a large bowl, toss the nectarines and wine mixture. Transfer the mixture to a 2-quart baking dish, smoothing it into an even layer, and set aside.
In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, cardamom, remaining 3/4 cup of sugar, and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Use your fingertips to cut in the butter, pinching and rubbing the butter into the flour mixture until heavy crumbs form (don't stress, but work relatively quickly to keep the butter from melting). Stir in the almonds and extract. Scatter the crumble evenly over the fruit and bake until the fruit juices are bubbling and the topping is nicely browned and firm to the touch, 35 to 40 minutes.
Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving.
