Deliciously Simple Fruit Crumble Squares: A Sweet Taste of Tradition

When we share traditional recipes on the blog that are easy to make and delicious, the biggest challenge is naming them. The Mennonite ruebel plats, or German streuselkuchen, is one such recipe. While enjoying it with a local friend, she called it crumble squares. So, here we go with the Deliciously Simple Fruit Crumble Squares: A Sweet Taste of Tradition. If you have Mennonite or German roots, you might recognize it as ruebel platz or streuselkuchen; let me know if you do.

I mentioned this recipe in my other platz recipe, my Oma’s plum platz, another delicious fruit cake, but I thought the fruit crumble squares deserve their own recipe.

The simplicity of traditional baking

I still have fond memories of my family’s homestead kitchen. Even though most families had six or more people, the kitchen was very simple. In fact, we moved ours every spring to the summer house and back to the main house in the fall. My modern kitchen has little in common with that movable setup. We had one buffet cabinet, a table with seating, and a stove that we moved as needed. We didn’t have many utensils or kitchen tools—no more than what could fit in that cabinet. Yet, we usually had freshly baked dinner rolls and sweet and savory treats every single weekend. The secret was simple: one yeast dough could do it all.

I have shared this before in my dinner rolls recipe. So here is another yummy baking option with the same dough. You can use the dough recipe provided or any of your favorite dinner rolls recipes for the base.

What fruit to choose

The fruit crumble skewer, or as my mom would say, platz, is a real fall treat. As different fruits ripen, you can incorporate them into this crumble. Apples, apricots, cherries, rhubarb, and plums all taste great. Try berries and cherries for variety, too.

You can leave smaller fruit whole, but generally aim for bite-size pieces. Use enough fruit to cover the dough densely. The fruit can be fresh or frozen. For frozen fruit, let the dough rise first, have the streusel ready, and assemble the cake just before baking without letting the fruit thaw. Bake immediately.

The Crumbles

The crumb topping, also known as streusel or rubel, is the star of this bake. I remember that it consists of just three ingredients: flour, butter, and sugar. Of course, you can add spices like cinnamon or vanilla as desired. The crumbles are made most simply by hand, which is why it’s called “rubel.” You mix the ingredients with your hands, which creates crumbles instead of a smooth dough.

Fruit Crumble Squares Recipe

Fruit crumble squares recipe

Author: Anna @ Northern Homestead

Serves: 1 standard baking pan

Ingredients

For the Dough:
50 grams oat bran or rolled oats (1/4 cup)
25 grams butter of your choice
½ cup (120ml) boiled water (let the butter melt)
½ cup (120ml) cold water
½ teaspoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon salt
½ tablespoon instant yeast
275 grams = 10 ounces of flour
Fruit:
4 cups fruit in bite-size pieces
Crumbs:
150 grams (1 cup) flour
100 grams (1/2 cup) room temperature butter
100 grams (1/2 cup) sugar

Instructions

In a KitchenAid Stand Mixer bowl (or any mixer), whisk the oats, butter, and boiling water until the butter melts. Let it soak for about 5 minutes.
Then add the cold water, maple syrup, salt, and yeast, and whisk everything together.
Add the flour.
Knead the dough for 5 minutes (you can also knead by hand).
Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
Knead for another 5 minutes (if kneading by hand, it might take longer; knead till the dough is ready).
Cover the dough and let it rise till it is about double. (ca. 30 minutes).
Press the dough into a pan lined with parchment paper
Let it rest till it rises
Layer the fruit till the base is covered
Mix the crumbs:
Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well by hand.
Cover the fruit with the crumbs
Bake at 400°F for 25-30 minutes