If You Only Bake One More Summer Dessert, Let It Be This

Marian Burros plum torte this. Marian Burros plum torte that.

The recipe is cherished and foolproof and time-tested. It's so beloved and requested that, as Kristen Miglore pointed out in Genius Recipes—which of course included the dessert—when the New York Times published the recipe for the sixth year in a row, they gave it the headline, "Once More (Sigh), the Plum Torte."

I myself had baked so many of these cakes this summer that, while I was by no means torte-tired, my eyes began to wander. I started scouring the internet for something different to do with the ten to twelve prune plums I'm obligated to buy every time I spot them.

It was my infidelity that led me to the other Boleyn girl Marian Burros plum dessert: plum crumble, the glory of which has been professed by Luisa Weiss on The Wednesday Chef and Molly Wizenberg on Orangette, too.

Marian Burros' Plum Crumble

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The crumble may not be as ubiquitous as the cake, but I implore you (I implore you): Make this for summer dessert finale, while plums are still a common sight and before you mosey on to apples and pumpkins.

Burros' crumble is shallow and top-heavy: a jammy layer of tart plums blanketed by a lumpy crust that my boyfriend aptly compared to a giant snickerdoodle cookie, warm with cinnamon. It's as easy-going as the torte, too The plums are simply halved, pitted, and tossed with spices and a little flour and sugar. The dough is streusel-like (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and a beaten egg), just pinched apart and scattered over the fruit.

Its glorious cookie-cake texture comes from the final step: Before the pan goes into the oven, you'll pour melted butter all over the top. The butter binds clumps of dough together, so that they form a craggy crust that's got fluff and crisp, lightness and density. Gosh, if I had to choose between Burros' crumble—fruity and spicy, squishy and crispy—and her cake... I just might choose the crumble.

Let it be your summer's last dessert hoorah. With a pan on the table, a pint of vanilla ice cream, and six spoons standing ready (though, you could easily polish it off among four!), you won't feel like you missed out on a thing.

Marian Burros' Plum Crumble

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Ingredients

2	tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2	tablespoons plus 1 cup unbleached flour, divided
1/2	teaspoon cinnamon, divided
1/4	teaspoon ground ginger
10 to 12	Italian prune plums, halved and pitted
1/4	teaspoon vanilla bean powder or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extra (optional)
3/4	cup granulated sugar
1	teaspoon baking powder
1/4	teaspoon salt
1	egg, well beaten
1/2	cup unsalted butter, melted

2	tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2	tablespoons plus 1 cup unbleached flour, divided
1/2	teaspoon cinnamon, divided
1/4	teaspoon ground ginger
10 to 12	Italian prune plums, halved and pitted
1/4	teaspoon vanilla bean powder or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extra (optional)

3/4	cup granulated sugar
1	teaspoon baking powder
1/4	teaspoon salt
1	egg, well beaten
1/2	cup unsalted butter, melted

What's the last summer dessert you'll make before you head into apple and squash territory? Tell us in the comments below!