A plum crumble. Not the most obvious of choices, but when you taste it you’ll recognize the revelation that the cheeky plum makes when doused in sugar and topped with a crunchy crust. For me, it’s a texture thing. While the peach softens into delicate bit, the plum, with the force of its fruit, retains a lavish bite to it, that pushes back against the crust.

Ingredients
3 pounds Italian prune plums, pitted and quartered
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons creme de cassis liqueur

For the topping
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

For the fruit, in a large bowl, combine the plums, brown sugar, flour, and cassis. Pour the mixture into a 12 by 8-inch shallow baking dish.

For the topping, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, oatmeal, walnuts, and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas. Scatter evenly over the plum mixture.

Bake the plum crunch for 40 to 45 minutes, until the plums are bubbling and the top is browned. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream.

Download recipe: Plum Crumble