Sweet Treats: apple & raisin crumble

On a winter’s day, for me there is no better dessert than a crumble, and as our neighbour recently gave us a fair amount of apples from her garden, I decided to use them and make an apple crumble. I half used Delia’s recipe from her ‘Complete Cookery Course’ book and also improvised using my own methods.

I adapted the basic crumble topping recipe, which is:

225g plain flour

75g butter (at room temperature)

75g soft brown sugar

and went for my own topping, which is my absolute favourite:

200g plain flour

25g oats

25g chopped nuts

75g butter

75g soft brown sugar

Nuts and oats make a great topping for crumble, and add a lovely crunch. I always sprinkle extra on top (with more sugar) to make it really crisp.

For the filling, I used the apples which had already been peeled and softened. I cooked them in a saucepan with a handful of raisins, a tablespoon of sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon.

The actual recipe calls for:

900g apples (peeled, cored and sliced)

75g raisins

25g soft brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground cloves

2 tbs water

Method:

For the topping:

·         Start with the flour and add the butter

·         Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour

·         Add the sugar (and any other dried ingredients) and combine

·         Set aside

For the filling:

·         Place the apples, raisins, sugar and spices in a saucepan

·         Add the water and cook gently until the apples are soft and fluffy

·         Spoon the mixture into the dish

·         Add the topping, making sure it’s evenly spread but not pressed down flat

You will need to cook the crumble for 30-40 minutes on gas mark 4.

I served mine with custard (unfortunately not homemade – but Waitrose ‘low fat’) but on a sunnier day, it’s just as beautiful with ice cream.