Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Strawberry Crumble with Chili Crisp

Strawberry Crumble with Chili Crisp

Sweet with a touch of spice, a perfect way to celebrate strawberry season

We love us some summer berries! Especially in baked goodies.

Like this Strawberry Crumble with Chili Crisp. We’ve taken a traditional recipe, then added an iconic Asian condiment for pizazz.

Because who doesn’t like pizazz?

 
Strawberry Crumble with Chili Crisp

 Recipe: Strawberry Crumble with Chili Crisp

A crumble (often called a crisp) is similar to cobbler (like this great Peach Cobbler).  But while cobbler is topped with biscuit dough, crumble is covered in streusel — which is a mixture of butter, flour, and sugar (sometimes with other ingredients added). Uncooked oats are a common addition, but we’re using pecans instead (see Notes).

For this recipe, we’ve added chili crisp, a spicy Asian condiment with a bit of crunch to it (which explains the “crisp” part of the name). It’s hot, but not incendiary. Our recipe calls for using just a bit, so you’ll barely notice the heat. But add more if you wish (see Notes). BTW we discuss chili crisp in more detail in our post on Roast Grapes and Chili Crisp Dip.

Preparation time for this dish is about 20 minutes. Baking adds another 35 minutes or so.

This recipe serves 4.  

Ingredients

For the strawberry base: 

  • 1 tablespoon butter (for buttering the baking dish or dishes)
  • 16 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
  • ¾ cup brown sugar (packed)
  • 2 teaspoons chili crisp (or more to taste; see Notes)

 For the streusel topping and to finish:

  • ¾ cup brown sugar (packed)
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces (see Notes)
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ~1 cup pecans, chopped
  • ice cream, whipped cream, or sour cream for garnish (optional)

Procedure

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Butter a pie plate or four 6-ounce ramekins (make sure they’re oven proof).
  3. Place the strawberries in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add ¾ cup brown sugar (packed) and the chili crisp, then toss to combine the ingredients. Set aside.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine ¾ cup brown sugar (packed) with the butter pieces, flour, and chopped pecans. Toss to combine all the ingredients and make a coarse streusel. 
  5. Place the strawberry mixture in the buttered baking dish(es). Sprinkle the streusel over the mixture and smooth the top.
  6. Place the baking dish(es) in the oven and bake until the strawberries are soft and their juices are bubbling — about 35 minutes. 
  7. Remove the crumble from the oven and let it stand for at least 15 minutes before serving (this helps it firm up). Garnish, or not, with ice cream, whipped cream, sour cream — whatever you choose. 

Strawberry Crumble with Chili Crisp

Notes 

  • We like to bake this crumble in individual ramekins. But a pie plate would work fine too.
  • If using ramekins, we generally arrange them on a baking sheet before placing them in the oven (a sheet pan works well for this purpose).
  • This dish is not overly sweet. If you want to sweeten it up, just increase the amount of sugar.
  • How much chili crisp to use? Your call. Two teaspoons will give you an understated flavor with just a touch of heat. If you prefer more spiciness, you could increase the amount to 3 or 4 teaspoons. 
  • There are several brands of chili crisp on the market. We prefer the Lao Gan Ma brand, but there are others which are also excellent.
  • We generally cut the stick of butter into quarters lengthwise, then cut the quarters into smaller pieces.
  • A traditional streusel topping contains nothing more than butter, flour, and sugar. It’s tasty, but generally melts into the strawberries as they soften during baking.  
  • So crumble recipes often add oats to the streusel in a bid for texture. Unfortunately, oats are flavor-challenged — not to mention tough. So we don’t recommend them.
  • Chopped nuts make a much better streusel extender, in our opinion. They’re tasty, they’re attractive, and they don’t dissolve in the oven. 
  • Pecans are great in this recipe, but walnuts would work too.
  • You can serve this crumble without a topping, but we often like to add whipped cream, and maybe extra strawberries. Or ice cream. Or sour cream.  Or a sprig of mint. You get the idea.

Strawberry Crumble with Chili Crisp
Crispy Critters

“Wow, can’t get enough of chili crisp!” I said. “We’re talking ultimate sugar and spice here.”

“So it’s your just dessert?” said Mrs. Kitchen Riffs.

“Yup,” I said. “But chili crisp has so many uses. It would be great with slow-cooked pork.”

“I come to berry crisp,” said Mrs K R. “Not to braise it.”

True. Better stop before she could puts me in a jam.

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74 comments:

Angie's Recipes said...

I can't get enough of strawberries at this time of the year and anything with streusel is right up my alley. I love the heat from the chili crisp...sweet and spicy..awesome!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Angie, this is sweet and spicy awesomeness. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Cocoa and Lavender said...

I’m making this Monday for a neighbor we haven’t been able to see for the year — she will love it!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi David, hope you both enjoy it -- bet you will. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Pam said...

Sounds really good, a must try! Thanks for the recipe!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Pam, this is SO good! Bet you'll like it. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Ben | Havocinthekitchen said...

Crumbles and crisps are probably my favourite summer dessert - so easy, versatile, relatively healthy (The ratio of the dough to the filling), and super delicious. This crumble looks awesome - loving the addition of pecans and chili.

savorthebest said...

Oh I do like pizazz! I love the idea of adding a bit of kick to the dessert.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Ben, we like crumbles a lot, too -- a lot of flavor, easy to make. Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Pat and Dahn, we love kicky desserts. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Terry at Blue Kitchen said...

John, you knocked it out of the park with this one. You had me at adding chili crisp to a berry dessert, but adding pecans made it sound even more wonderful! Going to shop for strawberries now. Thanks!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Terry, Mrs KR gets all the credit for this one -- she's the dessert maven in our household. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Anne in the kitchen said...

I have a jar of chili crisp in the fridge and believe I can easily ketofy this using your recipe as a guide! I can't wait, especially since I have some perfect strawberries!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Anne, I can totally see a keto version of this. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Martha said...

This sounds amazing, I can just imagine the flavor with the chili crisp. What a fantastic combination!

New Classic r said...

This a great recipe and I love the humor.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Martha, everything seems to go better with chili crisp! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi NCR, we do enjoy writing those endings! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Anonymous said...

What in the world is "chili crisp"?? Is it a cracker of some type or something? I have never heard of it and I'm in my mid-60's and have been cooking longer than I care to admit!

I do NOT use googLE, never will, so I hope this comment goes through.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Anonymous, chili crisp is an Asian condiment made from chilies, roasted onions (hence the "crisp"), and other goodies. We have a link in the recipe headnote to an earlier post (http://www.kitchenriffs.com/2020/10/roast-grapes-and-chili-crisp-dip-or.html) where we describe it in detail. It's really good stuff. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Merryn said...

A sensational strawberry recipe. The added chilli flavour is ingenious!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Merryn, we really like spicy with sweet. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Raymund said...

Nice flavour combo! The world need more sweet and hot flavour combinations

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Raymund, it does! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Mae Travels said...

That's a pretty radical innovation for a classic dessert that can in fact be too sweet (though not for me).

best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Mae, it's a fun dish -- really nice flavor. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Sippity Sup said...

I love unexpected flourishes to the classics! GREG

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Greg, we do, too! And this is a really tasty one. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Sherry's Pickings said...

but i like oats ... how interesting to add chilli to a dessert. sounds good to me! Gee that Anonymous person above sounds a bit testy. what does she/he have against poor old Google? tee hee ...

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Sherry, I like oats too (Mrs KR less so), but nuts are wonderful in this. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Amy (Savory Moments) said...

What?! Chili in the crisp?! What a new and creative idea this is - I'd definitely give it a try!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Amy, this is SO worth trying. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Healthy World Cuisine said...

Love this idea of giving strawberries a little pizzaz! Do you think you could send us a photo of the chili crisp package or maybe the brand name. We visit the Asian markets very often and would love to try this recipe.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Bobbi, we prefer the Lao Gan Ma brand (you can get it at Amazon), but there are others. I just learned that Trader Joe's has its own brand, which we're now wanting to try. :-) Thanks for the comment.

R's Rue said...

Yum

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi R, this is really worth trying. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Evelyne CulturEatz said...

I totally want this. I approve of the pecan choice and strawberries go so well with a touch of heat.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Evelyne, the pecans are great! As is the heat. :-) Thanks for the comment.

gluten Free A_Z Blog said...

I am absolutely drooling at this recipe. We love strawberries too and I can only imagine how good this dessert tastes.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Judee, it's good. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Love a good strawberry crumble, but I've never tried chili crisp. Sometimes add a little heat to a dish, sweet or savory, with crushed red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne. Must check out the chili crisp.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Jean, you could easily substitute cayenne, in particular, or red pepper flakes. But chili crisp has such a magical flavor! Thanks for the comment.

Abbe@This is How I Cook said...

I know this will be a hit all summer long. Thanks John!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Abbe, this is one we'll be making often. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Jeff the Chef said...

John, I love the color of that strawberry sauce dripping down the ramekin. And what an adventurous recipe! How refreshing!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Jeff, we love it when baked goods drip down the sides of the baking container -- so pretty. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina said...

Mmmm,John! Sadly, fresh strawberries are over in SC, but wow, what a creative recipe. I mean, listen, Thai food is part sweet and part hot too . . . and it's famous for deliciousness. I'm sure this is too. Keep the fresh summer recipes coming too please! Thanks!

Easyfoodsmith said...

I love a hint of chilli in my desserts and this is just my kind of dessert. So much in love with it!!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Roz, isn't this nice? Really a good dish. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Taruna, we love a bit of heat in desserts too. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Natalia said...

So yummy!

Karen (Back Road Journal) said...

Sugar and spice and everything nice! What a fun dessert to try.

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

I'm so glad your crispy critters don't involve cicadas! It's the perfect time of year for a strawberry crisp!!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Natalia, it's really, really good. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Karen, this really is fun -- a bit of a surprising flavor to most. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Liz, we've been reading about people eating those. Don't think we're tempted. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Food Gal said...

I've heard of people using it atop ice cream. But this really made me sit up and take notice. I bet it the chili crisp is fabulous with strawberries, what with the bright tangy sweetness as a nice counterpart.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Carolyn, we heard of people using this with ice cream too. Haven't tried that yet, but want to. It's terrific with strawberries! Bet it'd be nice with cherries, too. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Eva Taylor said...

Our local berries are just hitting the markets so your timing is perfect. Will need to find the chili crisp though.
Eva http://kitcheninspirations.wordpress.com/

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Eva, if you can't find chili crisp locally (you'll probably have to visit an Asian market), Amazon always carries it. :-) Thanks for the comment.

mjskit said...

A man after my heart! Adding chili crisp to a Strawberry crisp is genius. Who doesn't love a little sweet and spicy. Great recipe John!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi MJ, it's a really fun combo of flavors. :-) Thanks or the comment.

Inger @ Art of Natural Living said...

A crumble with a kick--how fun! Well I like the chocolate with a bit of chili so this sounds good to me!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Inger, we like chocolate with chile, too. Or with black pepper -- also a great combo. And of course strawberries with chili crisp. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Balvinder said...

I love the sweet and spicy combination and remember your chili crisp post from before. I have to find this chili crisp in Asian store.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Balvinder, this is good -- really worth finding chili crisp so you can make it. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Marcelle said...

I'm going to have to look for this chili crisp at the Asian market or on Amazon! I doubt my local grocery store will carry it. Gorgeous photos in this post (as always!) I love summer fruit crisps and I can't wait to give this one with a spicy twist a try, John. It truly looks delicious!!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Marcelle, chili crisp is SO worth finding! Really nice flavor. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Laura Dembowski said...

I'm on a constant search for ways to reinvent berry desserts, and you've totally done it! Bravo! Also that berry goo bubbled over so perfectly.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Laura, we love playing with berries in baked things. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Anonymous said...

I was curious to try Chili Crisp on ice cream, and also in brownies.
I did a quick-&-dirty trial run by slicing an ice cream sandwich horizontally, dotting Chili Crisp onto the bottom ice cream, and replacing the top half.
It was good.
I’ll try something more elaborate later :)

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Anonymous, sounds like a fun -- and tasty! -- idea. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Cocoa and Lavender said...

I forgot to get back to you! She loved it. She loved the slight sting of the chile along with the sweet of the strawberry. Thanks for a very fun recipe, John!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi David, glad it was a hit! That chili crisp is wonderful stuff. :-) Thanks for letting us know.