Blueberry Crumble

I've tried to resist the feeling, but try as I might, I really can't help it: I'm kind of ready for fall. The feeling started innocently enough while out shopping and just noticing all of the new fall arrivals, but then it became a running list of all the things I wanted to buy for the new season and me wishing the season would be here already. 

While it is definitely one of my favorite seasons to shop for, my wish for fall goes far beyond the clothing; there is truly something extra special about the fall season. The feeling of newness, the smell of cinnamon, the temperatures that are just perfect, my favorite fall activities like apple picking, and of course the food. I've been craving fall foods like crazy lately, but while I'm not ready to dig into apple pie or these fall feelings just yet, a crumble has been the delicious the answer to these pre-fall feelings. 

What I love about a crumble is that it combines the best of both seasons: the very best of summer produce from the berries (purchased at the farmer's market!), and the warm, carby comfort of a fall dessert from the crumble topping. Made complete by a scoop of vanilla ice cream, I really don't mind letting summer linger a bit longer and enjoying it while it last. Soon enough, I'll be wishing it were still here.

Blueberry Crumble (Paleo and gluten-free, printable recipe here)
serves 4

For the filling:
1 pint/2 cups of blueberries
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of cornstarch OR 1 tablespoon of arrowroot powder
1/2 a tablespoon of coconut sugar (additional sweetener is optional, especially if the blueberries are already sweet.)*

For the topping:
1 cup of almond flour/meal
1/2 cup of coconut sugar*
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
5 tablespoons of very cold butter

*Brown sugar can be used in place of coconut sugar.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. (The baking sheet is for easy transport of the ramekins and the foil is for any potential blueberry overflow during baking.)

Next, grease the ramekins with butter or a bit of coconut oil, and place on the baking sheet. (These ramekins from Target are my personal favorite.)

For the filling, combine the blueberries, lemon juice, cornstarch or arrowroot powder, and sugar if using. Lightly toss until the blueberries are well coated by the cornstarch/arrowroot. Once complete, fill each ramekin with about 1/2 a cup of the filling.

For the topping, whisk together the almond flour, baking powder, sugar, and cinnamon. Remove the butter from the fridge, and cut it into tiny chunks. Add it to the flour mixture and using a fork, mix everything together so that the butter breaks down just a bit more, and the mixture is crumbly and starts to resemble sand.

Sprinkle the crumble mixture evenly over the top of the blueberries. Make sure not to pat the mixture down!

Bake the crumbles for about 30 minutes or until the top is a golden brown color and the blueberries are bubbly. Let cool for a bit and serve warm or at room temperature. (Or reheat slightly later on if not eating immediately.) DO NOT forget some vanilla ice cream or gelato!