I learned the secret to making the best, crunchiest fruit crumble over two decades ago. And I subsequently ignored it.
A pastry chef friend shared the technique. Instead of sprinkling the raw crumbs on top of the fruit, where they absorb the juices and turn a little mushy on their undersides, he spread them out in a pan and baked them separately, until crisp and cookielike.
When fruit and topping finally meet, the crumbs are much better able to hold their own. The parts touching the syrupy filling may get slightly soft, but the rest of the mound becomes an irresistible, audibly crackling crust.
I didn’t have a very good reason for ignoring this smart move for so long. Somehow, that extra step just seemed cumbersome. Plus, traditional fruit crumbles are stupendously delicious, even if the topping is a little squishy. It had never been a priority to experiment with something already so satisfying.
This year felt different. I had more time around the house (like, all my time) to play around with methods like baking crumble topping separately.