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Even better crumble topping: Streusel v2.0

I believe I’ve found a superior streusel recipe, via Sarah Jampel’s recipe on Food52. It has a much better texture than my older version. The trick, I believe, is to omit nuts, use a blend of moist and dry sugars, and a food processor.

I substituted elderflower syrup for Jampel’s pomegranate molasses — but I think using any syrup to complement the flavor of whatever dessert you bake would work! (e.g., Honey, golden syrup, maple syrup, etc.) This makes enough for a single, very generously topped cake or pie — or a double batch if you prefer a lighter amount.

Ingredients

  • 7 3/4 ounces (220 grams) all purpose flour, or whole pastry flour
  • 3 7/8 ounces (110 grams) golden / light brown sugar
  • 3 7/8 ounces (110 grams) maple sugar, coconut (or palm) sugar, or granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 1/4 sticks (5 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces
  • 1/4 cup syrup: elderflower, maple, golden syrup, honey, etc.

Method

  1. Place the flour, both sugars, cinnamon, and salt into a food processor bowl. (I use the metal blade.) Pulse a few times until mixed.
  2. Add the butter. Pulse in short 1 to 3 second bursts, until the crumble has the texture of coarse cornmeal. You don’t want to melt the butter, though.
  3. Add enough syrup, while pulsing the food processor, until the crumble just barely holds together in a loose mass. Try not to make it sticky, if possible.
  4. Transfer to a bowl or bag, and refrigerate for at least a couple hours before using. This will help relax the gluten, as well as make crumbling easier. Otherwise, you can freeze the streusel at this point for later use.
  5. When ready to use (and after defrosting overnight in the fridge, if previously frozen), crumble the streusel into 1/2-inch or smaller chunks over a cake or pie — with knife, your fingers, or pastry blender — before baking it in the oven.

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