Easy fruit crumble

Perfect for a winter day

Without a doubt the fruit must be ever so slightly sharp to contrast with the sweetness of the topping. I’ve been making these on automatic for years, changing the recipe as different fruit comes into season. A cooking apple provides the base ingredient for the crumble filling, once you have that, add whatever fruit you fancy; a couple of pears, blackberries, plums, or my personal favourite, rhubarb.

Serves 5-6.

Ingredients:

• 1 large cooking apple
• 500g prepared fruit of your choice (see above for suggestions, try a mix)
• ½ cup of fruit juice
• 100-125g sugar
• ½ tsp mixed spice.

For the crumble topping:

• 100g butter, cut into cubes
• 100g plain flour
• 100g light brown soft sugar (or caster sugar)
• 2 handfuls of oats (or ground almonds, if you prefer)

Method:

1)To make the fruit filling, peel and chop the apple into large chunks, roughly a couple of centimetres. Prepare the other fruit, chopping it up into similar sized pieces.

2)Put all the prepared fruit into a large cooking pot and slosh the fruit juice on top, add 100g sugar and the mixed spice.

3)Bring to a slow bubble, cooking for about 7-10 minutes until the apple is beginning to turn soft. Keep an eye on the softer fruit, making sure it doesn’t go mushy. If it looks like this is going to happen, just take the pan off the heat, the apples will have time to cook later in the oven.

4)Taste the fruity liquid, if it’s way too sharp, add a few more spoonfuls of sugar, you want it to be slightly sharp but not so sharp it’s unpleasant. Set aside.

5)To make the crumble topping, put the cubed butter and flour into a mixing bowl and rub together between your fingertips until the mixture begins to resemble pale breadcrumbs.

6)Stir in the sugar, then the oats or almonds.

7)Tip your fruit filling into an ovenproof dish, then slowly sprinkle over your crumble topping, making sure that the surface is evenly coated.

8)Bake in the centre of a preheated oven, 180˚C for 35-45 minutes, until the crumble is golden on top.

I like to eat my crumble with single cream but if you prefer custard, crack it out and start eating. I would never have thought it but it tastes pretty amazing cold too.

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