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Peach–Raspberry Crumble (Reduced Sugar)

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on May 8, 2020

Time

1¼ hours, plus 20 minutes cooling

Yield

Serves 6

Sugar

28 grams (down from 56)

Peach–Raspberry Crumble (Reduced Sugar)

Ingredients

Filling

2½ pounds (1134 grams) ripe but firm peaches, peeled, halved, pitted, and sliced into ½-inch wedges2 tablespoons Sucanat ⅛ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon grated orange zest 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 10 ounces (283 grams/2 cups) raspberries

Topping

¼ cup (1¼ ounces/35 grams) Sucanat 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted2 tablespoons milk ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¾ cup (3¾ ounces/106 grams) all-purpose flour ½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats ½ cup pecans, chopped fine

Before You Begin

You can learn more about Sucanat in this article. Do not substitute quick oats, instant oats, or steel-cut oats in this recipe. Although we prefer the flavor of fresh peaches here, you can substitute 1¾ pounds of thawed frozen peaches; toss the peaches with Sucanat and salt and drain as directed in step 1. Do not skip grinding the Sucanat in step 3 or the topping will taste dry and dusty.

Instructions

    for the filling

  1. Gently toss peaches with Sucanat and salt in bowl and let sit, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Drain peaches in colander set over bowl; reserve 2 tablespoons juice and discard extra.
  2. Return drained peaches to bowl and toss with reserved peach juice, cornstarch, orange zest, and vanilla. Transfer to 8-inch square baking dish and top with raspberries. Set dish on aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet.
  3. for the topping

  4. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Grind Sucanat in spice grinder until fine and powdery, about 1 minute. Whisk ground Sucanat, melted butter, milk, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg together in large bowl. Using rubber spatula, fold in flour, oats, and pecans until combined and mixture resembles thick, cohesive dough.
  5. Pinch topping into ½-inch pieces (with some smaller loose bits) and sprinkle over filling. Bake until fruit is bubbling and topping is well browned, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer to wire rack and let crumble cool for 20 minutes before serving.
Peach–Raspberry Crumble (Reduced Sugar)
Styling by Marie Piraino.

Peach–Raspberry Crumble (Reduced Sugar)

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

1¼ hours, plus 20 minutes cooling

Yield

Serves 6

Sugar

28 grams (down from 56)

Ingredients

Filling

2½ pounds (1134 grams) ripe but firm peaches, peeled, halved, pitted, and sliced into ½-inch wedges
2 tablespoons Sucanat
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 ounces (283 grams/2 cups) raspberries

Topping

¼ cup (1¼ ounces/35 grams) Sucanat
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ cup (3¾ ounces/106 grams) all-purpose flour
½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup pecans, chopped fine

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

Filling

2½ pounds (1134 grams) ripe but firm peaches, peeled, halved, pitted, and sliced into ½-inch wedges
2 tablespoons Sucanat
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 ounces (283 grams/2 cups) raspberries

Topping

¼ cup (1¼ ounces/35 grams) Sucanat
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ cup (3¾ ounces/106 grams) all-purpose flour
½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup pecans, chopped fine

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

Filling

2½ pounds (1134 grams) ripe but firm peaches, peeled, halved, pitted, and sliced into ½-inch wedges
2 tablespoons Sucanat
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 ounces (283 grams/2 cups) raspberries

Topping

¼ cup (1¼ ounces/35 grams) Sucanat
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ cup (3¾ ounces/106 grams) all-purpose flour
½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup pecans, chopped fine

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

Letting the peaches macerate with a little bit of Sucanat and salt and draining away all but 2 tablespoons of the exuded liquid was a simple and effective way to rein in the peaches' moisture and ensure that our filling wasn't watery. We then tossed the peaches with cornstarch to further thicken the filling. A small amount of orange zest offered complexity without giving itself away. To make sure the delicate raspberries didn't turn to mush, we simply sprinkled them over the top of the peaches. With the filling set, we turned our attention to the crumble topping. A small amount of Sucanat was enough to create a sweet dough. Cinnamon and nutmeg offered warm spice notes, while pecans and oats provided nutty flavor and crunch. A splash of milk helped loosen up the dough so that it would be easy to crumble into pea-size pieces. As the crumble baked, the peaches and raspberries became soft and tender, and the topping crisped up and turned a perfect golden brown.

Before You Begin

You can learn more about Sucanat in this article. Do not substitute quick oats, instant oats, or steel-cut oats in this recipe. Although we prefer the flavor of fresh peaches here, you can substitute 1¾ pounds of thawed frozen peaches; toss the peaches with Sucanat and salt and drain as directed in step 1. Do not skip grinding the Sucanat in step 3 or the topping will taste dry and dusty.

Instructions

    for the filling

  1. Gently toss peaches with Sucanat and salt in bowl and let sit, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Drain peaches in colander set over bowl; reserve 2 tablespoons juice and discard extra.
  2. Return drained peaches to bowl and toss with reserved peach juice, cornstarch, orange zest, and vanilla. Transfer to 8-inch square baking dish and top with raspberries. Set dish on aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet.
  3. for the topping

  4. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Grind Sucanat in spice grinder until fine and powdery, about 1 minute. Whisk ground Sucanat, melted butter, milk, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg together in large bowl. Using rubber spatula, fold in flour, oats, and pecans until combined and mixture resembles thick, cohesive dough.
  5. Pinch topping into ½-inch pieces (with some smaller loose bits) and sprinkle over filling. Bake until fruit is bubbling and topping is well browned, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer to wire rack and let crumble cool for 20 minutes before serving.

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