Vanilla Crumb

Name: Vanilla Crumb
Yield: Makes 2 cups
Ingredients: 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour; 3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar; 1/4 cup packed (1⅞ ounces) light brown sugar; 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1/2 cup (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes; 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

By Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson

March 29, 2010

Image may contain Food Dessert Cake and Pie

Vanilla CrumbCookbook cover image courtesy of Random House

This crumb topping can be used on many recipes because it is so versatile. With a little customizing of this recipe, you can make a topping for any fruit crisp. Double or even triple the recipe and keep the extra topping in the freezer; that way, you can make a crisp on the spur of the moment.

Recipe notes

Béchamel Sauce

This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.

Caramelized Onion Pasta

Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.

Butternut Squash–Kale Salad With Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.

Crème Anglaise

The silky French vanilla sauce that goes with everything.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Mascarpone Cheesecake

An extra-silky filling (no water bath needed!) and a smooth sour cream topping make this the ultimate cheesecake.

Vodka Gochujang Pasta

This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.

Okonomiyaki Tater Tots

Crispy tots topped with savory-sweet sauce, mayonnaise, furikake, scallion, and katsuobushi.