Recipes Vicki Ravlich-Horan Images Brydie Thompson
The humble crumble. This is the chameleon of puddings, a great way to use up seasonal fruit, be it a glut of apples, pears, feijoas or guavas. Traditionally a warming winter treat because it pairs beautifully with a warm custard, crumbles are versatile enough to be enjoyed any season. Use tinned fruit like peaches and mango or frozen berries to bring a taste of summer to your winter table.
Once you have settled on the fruit combo you can turn your attention to the crumble. Keep it simple with a traditional English butter and flour streusel-like crumble or add some nuts and oats for a more American crisp.
While nuts add texture don’t forget spices, like fresh ginger or star anise, be it in the fruit or in the crumble. Cinnamon is a classic, but why not experiment with cardamom, nutmeg and allspice.
Classic Apple Crumble
A classic for a reason. This is always a crowd pleaser and a great crumble recipe to have up your sleeve.
1 kg apples
squeeze of lemon juice
½ cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup flour
½ cup sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
125g butter
Peel, core and slice the apples. Place in a pot with a squeeze of lemon juice. Heat and allow the apples to cook, when soft, stir in the sugar and cinnamon. Place the stewed apple in an ovenproof dish.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Stir in the sugar and spoon the crumble mixture evenly over the fruit.
Bake for 30 minutes or until pale golden. Serve with cream, yoghurt or custard.
