Dessert Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease an 8-inch square or similar-sized baking dish with butter or nonstick spray and set aside.

Make batter

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1.5 cups flour, 0.75 cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, and 0.25 tsp salt until combined.

Cut 0.5 cup cold cubed butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a small bowl, beat 1 large egg with 0.5 cup milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Pour the wet mixture into the flour-butter mixture and stir gently just until combined into a thick batter. Do not overmix.

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish, smoothing the top with a spatula. It will form the cake-like base for the dessert.

Prepare fruit

In a bowl, combine 2 cups mixed berries, 0.25 cup brown sugar, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and 1 tsp lemon zest. Toss gently until the berries are evenly coated.

Evenly distribute the berry mixture over the batter in the baking dish. Some juice will sink into the base — that's fine and will keep the dessert moist.

Make crumble topping

In a bowl, stir together 0.75 cup rolled oats, 0.5 cup flour, 0.25 cup brown sugar (for topping), 0.5 tsp cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Pour 3 tbsp melted butter over the mixture and stir until coarse clumps form.

Sprinkle the oat crumble evenly over the berry layer, covering as much surface as possible.

Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown, the fruit filling is bubbly, and a skewer inserted into the base comes out mostly clean (a few moist crumbs from the base are fine).

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10–15 minutes to set the filling slightly.

Serve warm, portioned into squares. Top each serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream and garnish with fresh mint leaves if desired.