'Everybody's good at cooking something and I'm good at cooking crumble, in fact I've got one in the oven, would you like some?' so sang Lorraine Bowen on her Surburban Exotica album.
It's so easy to make, even I'm good at cooking crumble!
Ingredients
For the crumble
300g/10½oz plain flour, sieved pinch of salt
175g/6oz sugar
200g/7oz unsalted butter, cubed at room temperature
Knob of butter for greasing (Mmmm)
For the filling
450g/1lb apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm/½in pieces. You're not just limited to apples, you can use any fruit you like, rhubarb and ginger works well together as does my personal favourite bramble and apple. Use your imagination, though I'm not sure about citrus fruits.
50g/2oz sugar
1 tbsp plain flour
1 pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)
Preparation method
1.Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2.Place the flour and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Taking a few cubes of butter at a time rub into the flour mixture. Keep rubbing until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Technique: Rubbing in method. Watch technique here
Place the fruit in a large bowl and sprinkle over the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Stir well being careful not to break up the fruit.
4.Butter a 24cm/9in ovenproof dish. Spoon the fruit mixture into the bottom, then sprinkle the crumble mixture on top.
5.Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until the crumble is browned and the fruit mixture bubbling.
Serve with thick cream,custard or ice cream. It was only ever served with custard at our school, and I won't have it any other way.
I've not made a crumble. I may give it a go with cherries.
ReplyDeleteCherry crumble sounds divine. Leave the stones in and call it a Cherry Surprise!
DeleteI'll serve this with lashings of custard and whipped cream...
ReplyDeleteNone of this aerosol whipped cream nonsense I hope!
DeleteI'll had out to the kitchen to put on my frilly apron and give it a whirl. And no, citrus fruit never works in this sort of thing.
ReplyDeleteHave you considered wearing a tabbard? Frilly aprons went out fashion with the Dooleys.
DeleteI may try a tabbard as well — any excuse to dress up for a Ren Faire!
DeleteIt's that crumble time of year. I went blackberry picking the other evening from a hedge I've been foraging in for years I might out, when some old girl came past and said it was her hedge. Unless someone's pulled her out, she's still in it.
ReplyDeleteLashings of custard I say just like at school where Tuesday was apple crumble day. Thursday was chocolate sponge and pink custard day. What do they get today? A big biscuit. Poor sods.xx
The old girl will make a wonderful fertilizer so you can look forward to having a big bumper crop next year. Sago and tapioca pudding days were always a big let down, I used to pretend it was caviar, even then, at that young age, I was pretentious.
DeleteSounds easy enough, so that even me can make it. Normally I fail miserably with Kuchen, sweets in general. Down the hill are apple and Zwetschgen trees - but the plums all have a crack, even while they are still hanging at the tree; must have been the rain. The trees are on public land, or in overgrown gardens nobody cares for. All I need is a bit butter. I think ice cream would be top with it, like Palatschinken.
ReplyDeleteYou can't go wrong with a crumble, however, if you are using apples, make sure they're the baking varieties and not the ones from the fruit bowl, otherwise your going to be in for a let down, like I once was when I used Granny Smiths instead of Bramley. Pflaumen cracked or otherwise sounds perfect.
DeleteI tried your recipe - I normally cook the fruit a bit first, but then have soggy crumble topping issues - so I did it your way, with extra blackberries, and it was pronounced a delicious success! You should clearly release your inner Fanny (Craddock) more often. xxxx
ReplyDeleteI'm pleased your crumble was a huge success. I like to release my inner Fanny on a daily basis.
DeleteI have an outer Fanny.
DeleteCoincidently I've just made a crumble yesterday. We call it "croustade". I made it with fresh picked red plums I bought from the farmer at the market. Only 99 cents a pound (compared to 1.99 at the grocery store).
ReplyDeleteI follow my mother's recipe who got it from her mother, who got it from... got it? I put 1/3 of the crumble mixture on the bottom and press it a little. Then the fruits and the rest of the crumble on top. In the one I made yesterday, I mixed with the fruits some red plum jam I had made previously and, before putting the top layer of crumble, I generoulsy sprinkled some grated dark chocolate.
Et voilà! Croutade aux prunes. Simply decadent!
I had croustade aux pommes last year in Biarritz it had filo pasty on the top, it was very nice, but you can't beat the way the peasants make it, can you? I also like the idea of grating chocolate on the top or perhaps adding chocolate chips to the crumble mixture. I'll remember that tip for next time. Thanks!
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