Cranberry Crumble is gluten-free friendly

Here, I’ve tweaked a traditional crumble to make a hot fruit dessert that my gluten-intolerant niece and the rest of my family can enjoy.

When cooking for someone with an allergy, check your ingredient list carefully with that person before proceeding. They might not be able to eat cornstarch, oats processed in a facility with wheat or other foods.

Many stores carry ground almonds labeled as almond flour or almond meal; or you can grind slivered almonds in a food processor.

Almond and Oat Apple-Cranberry Crumble

6 to 8 servings

For the filling

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 pounds sweet, crisp apples, peeled, quartered, cored and cut into slices about 1/4-inch thick

3/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries

1 teaspoon almond extract

For the topping

1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup ground almonds

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

For the filling: Whisk together the granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cornstarch in a mixing bowl. Add the sliced apples, cranberries and almond extract, and toss to coat thoroughly. Rest the mixture at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 375 degrees. Use cooking oil spray to grease an 8-by-11-inch shallow baking dish or one of similar volume (2 1/2 quarts).

For the topping: Whisk together the oats, ground almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Add the butter; use your fingers to quickly incorporate it into the dry ingredients.

Transfer the apple-cranberry mixture to the baking dish. Distribute the topping over the fruit as evenly as possible. Bake on that lower oven rack for about 50 minutes, until the topping is nicely browned and the fruit is cooked. You’ll see juices bubbling gently around the edges when the crumble is ready.

Rest the apple-cranberry-crumble for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Per serving (based on 8): 240 calories, 2 g protein, 46 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 5 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fiber, 37 g sugar