Loquat Crumble

What is a loquat you ask? It’s just a little piece of fruit a little smaller than a golf ball that grows on an evergreen tree. It is sweet, tangy and delicious. Its leaves can also be used for teas. Click here if you would like to find out more about the little loquat.

When we arrived in Oak Hill last week, we found loquat trees all over the neighborhood. After Bill’s cousin helped us back into the lot that would be our home for the week, she picked some loquats off the tree around back, peeled one and handed it to me to try. Yum! Why have I never known about you, you delicious little piece of fruit?

You know what is better than fresh loquat off the tree? Loquat cooked in a cobbler or jam. Both of which we had while staying there. The cooked loquat, in my opinion, becomes a little more tart and has a taste similar to an apricot. When I was looking on the internet, it was compared to a cooked cherry.

Since we already had a cobbler and I have two jars of jam to take with me on the road, I thought I would make a crumble for dessert one night. It is divine and I hope you will enjoy it.

Ingredients

Filling:
8 cups fresh, prepared loquats
lemon, juiced
1 cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch

Crumble:
cooking spray
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

To prepare fruit, slice the loquat starting at the bloom end, circling around the fruit and ending at the bloom end. Open the fruit and remove the seeds.

Place prepared loquats into a saucepan. Drizzle with lemon juice immediately to prevent fruit from turning brown. Cover pan and heat over low-medium heat until loquats release their juices and come to a simmer, about 10 minutes. Stir often.

Whisk together sugar and cornstarch in a bowl and pour over the simmering loquats. Stir well until thoroughly combined and return to a simmer over low heat. Cook until filling has thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Preheat the oven to 400°

Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and lightly coat with cooking spray. Transfer loquat filling to the skillet.

Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture starts to form crumbles. Add vanilla and mix into the crumble. Sprinkle mixture over loquat filling.

Bake in the preheated oven until filling is thick and bubbly and topping is browned, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 20 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.