Adding preserved Meyer lemon to a fruit crumble brings a complex citrus flavor with a hint of spice and tanginess, enhancing the taste. Marinate/mascerate firm fruit such as apples or pears overnight in brown sugar and If & When Moroccan Preserved Meyer Lemon Paste for a memorable flavor with less effort and fewer ingredients. We tried it with rhubarb, surprisingly still in season in Southern California...in July.
Need
Fruit Mixture
12 oz rhubarb, roughly chopped or seasonal fruit of your choice
¾ TBS Moroccan Preserved Meyer Lemon Paste (½ TBS if 'marinating' firm fruit the night prior such as apples or pears)
2 TBS brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 TBS flour
Topping
10 TBS flour (⅝ cup)
4 TBS oats
2-3 TBS sugar
¼ cup butter (4 TBS) + more based on texture
Optional: pinch of nutmeg
Do
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Filling
In a large bowl, combine fruit, brown sugar, vanilla and Moroccan Preserved Meyer Lemon. Mix well and transfer to a container if marinating overnight or for the day.
Transfer to baking dish (8 x 8 inches) before baking.
Crumble Topping
Mix flour, oats, sugar and optional spices in a bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture becomes crumbly. The butter should look like tiny coins as its slips through your fingers. Add more butter for desired texture.
Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the fruit mixture in the baking dish.
Bake and Serve
Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
Allow to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy warm or room temperature with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of Greek yogurt or fresh cream.
Notes
Brown sugar pairs well with preserved lemon, and adds a more caramel-like flavor than white sugar due to the molasses content, complementing the other flavors and adding slight moisture.
The amount of sugar in the topping may be adjusted to your personal preference. In one version of this recipe, we used just over a pound of apples—about 2/3 sour green and 1/3 sweet red. This combination provided enough natural sweetness, allowing us to reduce the sugar in the topping so it didn’t overpower the crumble.
