CHOCOLATE BLUEBERRY CRUMBLE

No one ever turns their nose up at blueberry crumble, but add a little chocolate and a hint of balsamic tang and you’ve turned Grandma’s staple into haute cuisine. It’s incredible warm, with a little scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, but the leftovers also hold their own. I’ve never been a fan of cold pizza for breakfast, but a chilled jar of this crumble with coffee is simply sublime.

INGREDIENTS

    CRUMBLE TOPPING:

    1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

    1/4 cup quick-cooking oats

    1/4 cup evaporated cane sugar

    4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) cold non-dairy margarine

    FILLING:

    1/4 cup evaporated cane sugar

    1 tablespoon unsweetened baking cocoa, sifted

    2 tablespoons shaved chocolate

    1 pint (2 cups) fresh blueberries

    1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Makes 6 crumbles

DIRECTIONS

      For the crumble topping, combine the flour, oats, and sugar in a small bowl. Stir to combine, then cut in the cold margarine using a pastry blender or the back of a strong fork. Blend until it comes together as loose crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.

      Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease six 4-ounce canning jars. Place the jars on a rimmed baking sheet.

      To make the filling, stir together the sugar, cocoa, and shaved chocolate in a large bowl to combine. Toss the blueberries in the mixture. Whisk together the balsamic and vanilla, and sprinkle it over the blueberry mixture. Gently toss to combine.

      Divide the blueberry mixture among the jars. There will be some of the dry mixture that sinks to the bottom of your mixing bowl; sprinkle it over the tops of the berries. Retrieve the crumble topping from the fridge and sprinkle over the top of each jar evenly, gently pressing it down.

      Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the topping is golden and the blueberry mixture is bubbling around the edges. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes before serving.