France
Peach Crumble Cups
“Le crumble” is a favourite in French cafés — sweet fruit under a buttery, sandy topping that you rub together with your own fingers. Late-summer peaches make it golden and bubbling.
What your child practised
- Slicing peaches with a knife
- Rubbing butter into flour by hand
- Juicing a lemon
- Measuring with cups and spoons
- Portioning into muffin liners
Ingredients makes 8–14 portions
- 4–5 ripe-but-firm peaches
- 1–1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2–3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2–3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2–3/4 cup cold butter
- 1/2–3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1–1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 lemon
- 1–1.5 quarts milk
- 1/4–1/3 cup honey
- 1–1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 12–16 muffin liners
- 1/4–1/2 tsp salt
How it is made
- Slice the peaches and toss them with granulated sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch.
- Divide the peaches among muffin liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
- CRUMBLE: rub the flour, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and salt between your fingertips until it looks like sand with a few pea-sized lumps. This is the best part — use your hands.
- Spoon the crumble over the peaches and press it down lightly.
- An adult bakes at 375°F for 20–22 minutes until the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling at the edges.
- While they bake, stir honey and vanilla into cold milk for lait à la vanille. Let the crumbles cool 5 minutes — hot fruit holds its heat.