Cast iron crumble

I love cast iron cookware. It does things no other pan can do. I've got a full rundown on cast iron coming soon, so today I offer a simple crowd pleasing fruit crumble recipe. I developed this recipe for the barbeque grill, but it works just as well in the oven. One day I was looking for dessert to bring to a backyard barbeque at a friend's place. I wanted something that could be cooked on the grill while we enjoyed our meal, as I didn't want my friends to turn on their oven in the July heat. In truth, I just threw together some basic ingredients in eyeballed proportions that I could assemble on site. It's a basic ratio; 1/1/2/1 butter/flour/sugar/oats, with a few minor but important players rounding out the cast. Everyone enjoyed my efforts, and I've continued to tweak and tinker with the recipe a dozen times since. I made an apple crumble the other day to confirm the recipe is ready for general consumption, and we weren't disappointed! Here it is.

1 can fruit pie filling   

1/2 C (1 stick) butter

1/2 C AP flour

2/3 C dark brown sugar

1/3 C white sugar

1/2 C oats

1/2 t salt

1t baking powder

1t cinnamon

1t vanilla

3t water

The method is very simple. Preheat your oven or grill to 425°F. Combine the dry goods. (flour, sugar, oats, salt, baking powder and cinnamon) Cut in the butter. Add the vanilla and water to form a coarse mixture. Lightly grease your 10” cast iron skillet and add a can of your favorite pie filling. I grease with butter; it makes for crispy crust, and nothing tastes better!  Pour the crumble mixture over the fruit, and drag a fork through to bury some of the crumble. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes, and serve!