A good old traditional British pudding! Crumble is another dish with endless possibilities, but rhubarb is in season right now, so why not give this a go?
Andrew: I was given some rhubarb by a friend, and a trip to the greengrocer turned up the other fruits, but most of the rest was in the store cupboard.
Dawn: Which is just how we operate here at Love Food HQ! Use what you have and what is seasonal, for taste and value.
Andrew: The two different sugars enhance the flavour, and the summer fruits added a rich colour.
Dawn: Save me some next time!
Ingredients
Serves 6
8 sticks of rhubarb cut on the diagonal into 4-5 cm pieces
150g caster sugar
1 large Bramley apple, peeled, cored and cut into 2cm cubes
100g dark or light brown sugar
1 punnet raspberries
1 punnet blackberries
For the crumble topping:
150g plain flour
75 g butter, cut into cubes
75g sugar (we combined the two from above)
40g porridge oats
Method
- Put the rhubarb and caster sugar in a saucepan on a low heat, the sugar will melt as the rhubarb begins to cook.
- Drain off the liquid (this is delicious with vodka by the way) and set the rhubarb aside.
- In another pan, repeat the process with the apple and the brown sugar, and a spoonful of water to stop it sticking.
- Stir so the apple is well covered and cooks evenly
- Allow the apple to cook on the outside but stay crisp in the centre.
- Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile prepare the crumble topping by blitzing the ingredients in a food processor to resemble a breadcrumb texture.
- If you prefer, you can do this by hand. Rub the ingredients between your fingers. It is more time consuming, but therapeutic.
- Arrange the rhubarb and apple in an ovenproof dish, and scatter the summer fruits evenly around.
- Cover with the crumble mixture.
- Cook for 20-25 minutes at 190ºC/Gas Mark 5, until golden brown.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes, and serve with ice cream or custard.
Andrew: A great family pudding, for a chilly evening, and a super comfort food!
Dawn: You can have seeds and nuts in your crumble topping too!
Andrew: If you like your crumbles, make a bigger batch of the topping, and freeze in individual portions for the next time you have a go at this.
Dawn: Another time saving tip!
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