Apple and Blackberry Crumble

Fri, 4 October 2024

Ingredients: 

250g plain flour 
125g chilled butter, cut into cubes 
35g demerara sugar 
35g caster sugar, plus extra for the fruit as required 
About 500g apples & blackberries mixed, peeled & cored and cut into chunks  

Method: 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C. Combine the flour and butter in a food processor or large bowl, and pulse briefly, or rub with your fingertips, until the mixture resembles very coarse breadcrumbs with a few larger lumps. Add the sugars and then add a drop of cold water to mix it into a crumbly texture with some small clumps.
2. Meanwhile, put your prepared fruit in a lightly greased, shallow baking dish, and sprinkle with sugar – taste it first to see how much you think it needs.
3. Arrange the crumble over the top of the fruit and bake for about half an hour, until golden and bubbling, and serve slightly cooled.

Crème Anglaise  

(Serves 4) 

Ingredients: 

 
4 egg yolks 
60g caster sugar 
1 – 2 vanilla pods (or depending how strong you like the flavour) 
300mls single cream 

Method: 

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. 
Place the cream into a saucepan. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the cream then also add the vanilla pods.  

Heat the cream gently until it just reaches boiling point. Immediately remove from the heat and leave the vanilla to infuse for one minute. 

Remove the vanilla pods and add a few tablespoons of the hot cream into the egg mixture, mix through then gradually pour the rest of hot cream over the egg mixture, whisking continuously. 
Return the mixture to the saucepan and gently heat, stirring continuously, until the custard reaches a consistency that coats the back of a wooden spoon. If you want to cool the custard down quickly, place the saucepan into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking. 
Serve the custard warm or cool and chill, then serve.