Sweet plump blackberries combine with a blend of lemon zest and cinnamon in this easy dessert. There is an extra-large portion of crunchy crumble topping for all the streusel lovers. This easy dessert has all the goodness of a blackberry pie without the bother of rolling a pastry crust.
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 8x8 inch baking dish.
Combine the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and lemon zest in a small dish until all the dry ingredients are blended well. Gently toss the sugar mixture with the berries then place in the baking dish.
Crumble topping:
Combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and butter. Stir with a fork until it has clumps the size of peas. Sprinkle evenly over the berries
Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet (in case the juices bubble over the edge). Bake for about 55 to 60 minutes until the top is golden brown and the juices are bubbly.
Let the berries cool slightly and serve with ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.
Notes
The amount of cornstarch you use will depend on how ripe and juicy the blackberries are. If you have really ripe juicy blackberries, then use 6 tablespoons but if your blackberries are not super juicy or soft then use 4 tablespoons.
If you use frozen blackberries, use 5 to 6 tablespoons of cornstarch.
Freezing the blackberry crumble: If you want to freeze the crumble, substitute the cornstarch for 4 tablespoons of instant clearjel, or 5 tablespoons of instant tapioca (cornstarch breaks down when it gets frozen so it doesn't work well for frozen pies and crumbles).