Filling, scrumptious and simply delicious, our apple and cinnamon crumble can be made as one large dish or cooked in seperate ramekins – whatever your preference, this is a firm traditional British staple pudding.

Andrew: I like the cinnamon twist to this. 

Ingredients

Serves 4

Fruit base

4 cooking apples or 7-8 eating apples (any kind)

10g sugar

4 tbsp water

Crumble Topping

50g plain flour

25g porridge oats

20g softened low fat spread

10g sugar (granulated, castor, muscovado are all possibilities)

15g flaked almonds (toasted, optional)

¼ tsp of ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

Method

• Peel and cut into chunks the apples. Put in a saucepan.
• Add the 10g of sugar and water.
• Cook on the hob until the apples are partially softened, stirring so that the apples don’t stick to the saucepan base.
• Once softened, spoon the mushy-looking apples into a large cooking dish or four ramekins. Set aside to make the crumble topping.

Dawn: You can add additional soft fruits at this point, too.

Andrew: Like blackberries?

Dawn: Yes, Andrew or dribble 20-30g of sultanas or currants into the apples so they are generously strewn amongst the apples. I do like blackberries added at this point especially if they’re hedgerow ‘freebies’.

Andrew: It’s worth pointing out that if you use cooking apples, you may decide to add a little more sugar as they tend to be less sweet than eating apples. 

Dawn: Excellent point, Andrew.

• To make the crumble topping, put the flour, spread, sugar and salt into a large bowl and using your fingertips, rub these ingredients together until they have combined to form what resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Add the flaked almonds and gently combine.

Andrew: Be gentle at this point as you don’t want the almonds to become too fine.

Dawn: That’s right. I personally like the almonds to retain much of their size and shape as it adds to the finished texture and almost crunch-like quality of the topping when cooked.

• Next, add the oats and with equal care shown to the almonds, combine these with the existing crumble mixture.
• Add and combine the cinnamon.

Andrew: If you haven’t any cinnamon, use mixed spice. nutmeg or ginger. Whatever ground spices you may have in will all work really well here. 

• You are now ready to sprinkle the crumble topping over the apple base. So, spooning the mixture, spread the topping equally over the apple fruit base.
• Place a pre-heated oven at gas mark 4/electric 180 degrees for about 35-40 minutes until the apple juices are bubbling and the crumble base has turned a nice golden light brown colour.

Andrew: Serve warm with either ice cream or fresh cream.

Dawn: Simply scrumptious! Or, custard and we’ll be bringing you homemade custard in our forthcoming recipes, too. Stay tuned to updates by following this food blog and over on Twitter @Love_Food_UK