The humble crumble - low effort, high reward kind of dessert

I won’t beat around the bush - this crumble is so simple, and so deserves a simple recipe post. This is the perfect dessert for autumn and winter - gentle spices, best served warm and an easy way of using up the abundance of apples around this time of year, plus any frozen fruit you’ve got hanging out in the freezer.

Feel free to change the recipe to your liking - omit the berries, add more spices, replace the almonds with oats, like you do you. Everyone’s preference is different when it comes to a crumble.

Recipe / serves 3

Ingredients

For the fruit layer

200g apples, peeled and cored (preferably Bramley, but use whatever you have on hand)

50g blueberries, frozen or fresh

1 tsp granulated sugar, optional

For the crumble

25g butter, cold and chopped into cubes

50g flour

30g brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Pinch of ground cloves

Pinch of allspice

Pinch of salt

15g flaked almonds, optional

Method

Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350° F, and grease a small casserole dish with a little butter.

To make the crumble, rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles thick breadcrumbs, then stir in the brown sugar, spices and flaked almonds if using.

Peel and chop your apples into chunks or slices. Place into the bottom of your casserole dish, along with the blueberries and a generous tablespoon of sugar.
Note: You might not need the sugar if you're using regular eating apples, but cooking apples (Bramelys) might need that extra sweetness

Layer the crumble over the fruit evenly, then pop the casserole into the oven.

Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the crumble is a light golden brown.

Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy warm, with all the toppings you want.

Notes

Suggested toppings

I love serving this with some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, and actually, the tangy flavour of crème fraîche also works really well. Caramel or butterscoth are both fantastic accompaniments also if you’re just using apples.

Storage

Store the crumble in the fridge for up to three days – make sure to heat up again either in the oven or microwave on a low setting before serving.

You can also pop the entire casserole dish into the freezer for up to three months, so long as you cover it with tin foil and place in a ziplock bag with all the air squeezed out.