Desserts like these typically indicate a summery climate, but a dish brimming with sweet, ripe fruit might be even more important in the winter, when unearthing a frozen stash of juicy berries, then baking them underneath a shattering, melt-in-your-mouth shell, can truly feel like a ray of sunshine. Pouring the butter over the top of the sandy crisp mixture may be a new technique to you, but have faith – justice will prevail, and the topping will transform into a layer begging to be cracked open. It’s heaven warm out of the oven, and possibly even better the next day, eaten with a spoon right out of the dish.


Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 23-cm round baking dish generously with butter.

• In a large bowl, toss the cherries and berries with 2 tbsp of the flour, the lemon zest and juice, ½ tsp of the cardamom, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Transfer to the prepared dish.

• In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 130g flour with the sugar, the remaining 1 tsp cardamom and ¼ tsp salt, the baking powder, and the egg white until a sandy mixture forms, then stir in the almonds. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, then drizzle the melted butter evenly all over the surface.

• Bake until golden and bubbling around the edges, 35 to 45 minutes. Let it cool slightly before serving. Serve with ice cream, if desired.
  

Recipe adapted from 'Shabbat: Recipes and Rituals from my table to yours' (Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House)