boozy apple-pecan crumble and "gone paddle boarding!"

A simple Apple Crumble infused with booze

As a rule, simplest foods taste best. Toss together a few complementary ingredients, and you can't go wrong – unless, of course, you burn your creation or accidentally use salt instead of sugar. This is why crumbles and crisps make no-brainer desserts, especially during the colder months. Minimal fussing. And no real recipe is required – although I'm giving you mine as a jumping-off point. Just mix and match like flavors, top with crust material and voila! I like to first gently cook winter fruits, like apples and pears, in a bit of caramelly alcohol like rum, Marsala, Tuaca, brandy or Calvados – complex flavors, minimal effort. Of course, you can skip the booze. No one will notice or care.

Crumbles taste terrific as-is, slightly warmed. But there's something quietly rebellious about eating them from a drinking glass with a demitasse spoon, topped with non-dairy ice cream or sour cream. I also love crumbles for breakfast with my cappuccino. But if you happen to make a crumble the night before, there is rarely any leftover the next day.

I'm going on vacation with F-stop, so I won't be blogging until after Dec. 21. Have a good week – and let me know how the crumble turns out.

Boozy Apple-Pecan Crumble [Vegan]

• 3 T raisins
• 3 T caramelly liquor [eg, Marsala, rum, brandy, bourbon, cognac, Tuaca, Calvados]
• 4 medium tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks [You can also use pears or a mixture of apples and pears]
• 3/4 cup flour [I use part whole-wheat pastry flour]
• 4 T Earth Balance
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch salt

Serves 6

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 x 9-inch square or cake pan.

In a medium saucepan, heat the raisins and booze. Add the apples and cook for about 5 minutes over medium, with the lid on, to infuse the fruit.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, rub the Earth Balance into the flour with your fingers [Fun, right?]. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Pour the apples into the pan. Top with crumble and bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes, or until topping is golden brown. Serve warm.