Apparently, plums and juniper “hold the same cultural significance as traditional Christmas trees—hardy, plucky, and symbols of resilience.” Sadly, my attempted nod to the Christmas season was a bit of a dud tonight, for reasons including: • A mismatch between Angelino plums and a sugar level clearly meant for something tarter • A misguided attempt to “re-crisp” on the grill, concentrating the sweetness beyond reason With luck, a long chill in the fridge—and a much gentler reheat—will redeem this crumble and prevent me from doing the same. *Recipe from “HOW TO EAT YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE” by JULIA GEORGALLIS

The apricot pies were promising and these were on sale.

When you have extra butter oat crumble from a previous bake, an open bag of leftover frozen blueberries taking up freezer space, and a freshly churned pint of French Vanilla ice cream waiting to party, executing Operation Recipe Collage makes all the sense in the world! *Butter Oat Crumble from @beatrixbakes **Blueberry Crisp from @spendpennies ***French Vanilla Ice Cream from @handletheheat

It’s been a mighty long while since my last apple crumble. This one had subtle hints of spice that seemed to mature with each day in the fridge.

BRIEF: “Deliciously buttery and aromatic with its rosemary shortbread base, our Berry Almond Crumble sees vanilla egg custard layered with fresh blueberries and almond silvers. The perfect summer picnic treat or for sharing over afternoon tea.” SOOT’S TAKE: Very sweet and a bit one-dimensional.