Crumbles are super easy, but I always have to look up the proportions. This recipe is about right for a decent layer of fruit and a thick crumble. Honestly, I could eat crumble without the fruit, but we all need our 5 a day, right? Switch up the fruit as you like: apple, pears, maybe add some blackberries. You can use rhubarb if you’re feeling spicy – just pre-cook in a covered saucepan until soft and add sugar to taste. Use a rectangular baking dish. An 18×25 will serve 6-8.
The Fruit:
- 2 large Bramley apples for an apple crumble, but use more or less as you like
- 2-3tsp cornflour
- 150g caster sugar (or less if the fruit is sweet, like pears or eating apples)
- 1tsp cinnamon
The Crumble:
- 240g plain flour
- 150g room temperature salted butter, cut into pieces
- 120g demerara sugar
- 1-2tsp cinnamon
- 100g rolled oats
Peel and slice the apples into 1-2cm slices. If you use pears, cut into chunks as the pears will cook quickly. toss in a bowl with the cornflour, sugar and cinnamon.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar and cinnamon with the butter and rub together with your fingers until the butter is evenly distributed and it has the texture of wet sand. mix in the oats.
I always add a thin layer of crumble to the bottom of the dish as I love the slightly gooey base, but you can go straight in with the fruit if you prefer. Add the rest of the crumble to the top in an even layer. You can give some of the crumble a bit of a squeeze to create some larger crumbs which will crisp up nicely. If you want a really crunchy top, sprinkle on some more demerara sugar, but watch carefully so it doesn’t burn.
Cook for 30-40 minutes at 180C fan or 200C conventional. You can stab a fork in to make sure the fruit is cooked. Serve hot or cold with cream, custard or ice cream.