COMFORTING BLACKBERRY AND APPLE CRUMBLE
With brambles ripening from late July though to September, whether you have a frozen glut to use up or are cooking with some shop-bought blackberries these classic flavour combinations from Annie-Mae Herring make the most of these fragrant berries in her take on the traditional British pudding.
Foraging hedgerows for food is an enjoyable pastime for young and old and a great way to connect with nature. If you’re unsure on what to pick and when, you can tell by the colour: blackberries should be a deep purple to black colour and the fruit should come off the plant easily. You can also tell by taste; ripe blackberries should be a perfect blend of sweet and tart – just be sure to give them a quick rinse first!
SERVES:
4-6 people
COOKING TIME:
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS & METHOD
For the Crumble
260g Plain Flour
20g Shortbread
20g Oats
200g Salted Butter
140g Dark Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
1 tsp Cinnamon
Pinch of Salt
1 tbsp Demerara Sugar to Garnish
(optional) Pecans/Walnuts
For the Fruit
250g Blackberries
200g Bramley Apples, cubed into 3cm chunks
100g Blackcurrants
80ml Creme de Cassis (or a very good quality blackcurrant cordial)
2 tbsp Salted Butter
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Cornflour
100g Caster Sugar
1/3 tsp Cinnamon Powder
2 Cloves
For the Custard
90g Dark Brown Sugar
500ml Jersey Milk or Whole Milk
200ml Double Cream
3 Egg Yolks
1 tbsp Cornflour
1 tbsp Vanilla Bean Paste
Pinch of Salt
1 - Start by adding all your fruity ingredients together into a large mixing bowl (except the butter). The sugar will draw out lots of the juice from the fruit.
2 - Allow to sit for 1 hour.
3 - Blitz your shortbread in a food processor until you achieve a powder. Then add all of your ingredients for the crumble into a bowl.
4 - Using your fingers, pinch everything together until you have achieved thick crumbs. This should take about 5 minutes.
5 - Preheat your oven to 180 degrees fan. Pour your fruit mixture into a baking dish and add the butter dotted around the top of the fruit.
6 - Then add an even layer of your crumble topping. Sprinkle demerara sugar and a few crushed pecans/walnuts for a crunchy top!
7 - Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown and fragrant.
1 - Start by adding all your fruity ingredients together into a large mixing bowl (except the butter). The sugar will draw out lots of the juice from the fruit.
2 - Allow to sit for 1 hour.
3 - Blitz your shortbread in a food processor until you achieve a powder. Then add all of your ingredients for the crumble into a bowl.
4 - Using your fingers, pinch everything together until you have achieved thick crumbs. This should take about 5 minutes.
5 - Preheat your oven to 180 degrees fan. Pour your fruit mixture into a baking dish and add the butter dotted around the top of the fruit.
6 - Then add an even layer of your crumble topping. Sprinkle demerara sugar and a few crushed pecans/walnuts for a crunchy top!
7 - Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown and fragrant.
1 - Start by adding all your fruity ingredients together into a large mixing bowl (except the butter). The sugar will draw out lots of the juice from the fruit.
2 - Allow to sit for 1 hour.
3 - Blitz your shortbread in a food processor until you achieve a powder. Then add all of your ingredients for the crumble into a bowl.
4 - Using your fingers, pinch everything together until you have achieved thick crumbs. This should take about 5 minutes.
5 - Preheat your oven to 180 degrees fan. Pour your fruit mixture into a baking dish and add the butter dotted around the top of the fruit.
6 - Then add an even layer of your crumble topping. Sprinkle demerara sugar and a few crushed pecans/walnuts for a crunchy top!
7 - Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown and fragrant.
8 - Meanwhile, make the custard. Heat the milk, cream and vanilla bean paste together until simmering and remove from the heat.
9 - Add the sugar, salt, egg yolks and corn flour into a bowl and whisk until combined into a thick paste.
10 - Slowly pour a tiny amount of your warmed milk mixture directly into the egg mixture and whisk until combined. Pour this back into the milk pot and stir again to combine.
11 - Turn this back onto the heat and stir your custard with a spatula until thick and creamy. This should take 10-15 minutes.
Enjoy hot or cold, either way, pour all over your crumble and enjoy!
8 - Meanwhile, make the custard. Heat the milk, cream and vanilla bean paste together until simmering and remove from the heat.
9 - Add the sugar, salt, egg yolks and corn flour into a bowl and whisk until combined into a thick paste.
10 - Slowly pour a tiny amount of your warmed milk mixture directly into the egg mixture and whisk until combined. Pour this back into the milk pot and stir again to combine.
11 - Turn this back onto the heat and stir your custard with a spatula until thick and creamy. This should take 10-15 minutes.
Enjoy hot or cold, either way, pour all over your crumble and enjoy!
8 - Meanwhile, make the custard. Heat the milk, cream and vanilla bean paste together until simmering and remove from the heat.
9 - Add the sugar, salt, egg yolks and corn flour into a bowl and whisk until combined into a thick paste.
10 - Slowly pour a tiny amount of your warmed milk mixture directly into the egg mixture and whisk until combined. Pour this back into the milk pot and stir again to combine.
11 - Turn this back onto the heat and stir your custard with a spatula until thick and creamy. This should take 10-15 minutes.
Enjoy hot or cold, either way, pour all over your crumble and enjoy!