Apple crumble

Apple crumble ( all ingredients are approximate)

Ingredients

For the filling

• 900g/2lb bramley apples ( mixture of all apples from the garden)
• 350-400g/12oz-1lb blackberries ( again approx I put about half of this) 
• 175g/6oz demerara sugar ( I put much less sugar) but added figs ( dried and thinly sliced)
• Some cinnamon powder 
• 2 lemons

For the topping

• 225g/8oz plain flour ( I put less flour) 
• 175g/6oz butter
• 55g/2oz demerara sugar
• 125g/4oz muesli or a mixture of oats, seeds and chopped nuts
• ( I put Tesco muesli with Nuts  and fruit, 2 tbsp cocoa nibs, about 150 kgs ground almond) .. The muesli to flout ratio is almost reverse in mine - I first add the muesli and then add the flour to bind and create a crumble effect) 

How-to-videos

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. Peel, core and chop the apples into small chunks. Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice over the apple and mix well. This not only adds flavour but prevents the freshly peeled apples from discolouring.
3. Layer the apples, blackberries, and sugar in a large pie dish (a lasagne dish is ideal).
4. Place the flour in a large bowl and then rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs - leave a few lumps of butter so that the topping is not too fine. Add the muesli or oat/seed/nut mixture and the sugar and mix through.( I did reverse in this step - I heated the butter, added the muesli, ground almond and then finally the flour to make crumble type flour- 2 tbsp cocoa nibs) 
5. Use a spoon to sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the fruit. Bake for 45 minutes or until the fruit is cooked and bubbling juices seep through the topping. ( i spread the crumble with hand)
6. Baked for 30 mins at 170 degree fan
7. Cool for a few minutes and then serve with custard or fresh cream.

Red Berry Summer Pudding

Red  berry summer pudding

I replaced fresh berries with frozen berries ( strawberry, raspberry and blackberry  - 1 pkt  of 400 gms raspberries, 2 pkts of strawberry + blackberry 400 gm pkt ) 

Serves: 6  ( in my opinion 8 ) 

I used the green dessert bowl 

I end up using 10 slices of thick bread so buy a big loaf 

Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus overnight chilling time

Cooking time: 25-30 minutes

You will need

 

600g raspberries

600g strawberries hulled and halved if large

600g blackberries

300g caster sugar

Juice of ½ lemon

150ml white wine

300ml water

6 slices of thick cut white bread

Fresh jersey double cream, to serve (optional)

Method

1.  Put half the fruits in a large saucepan with the sugar, lemon juice, wine and water

2.  Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for five minutes until softened, stirring occasionally.

3.  Lift out the fruit into a sieve using a slotted spoon, strain any liquid back into the saucepan, then put the fruit in a bowl on the side. Allow it to cool (this is so you don’t cook the raw fruits in the hot ones).

4.  Reserve 200ml of the fruit syrup for painting the bread.

5.  Return the pan to the heat and boil the remaining liquid for 20-25 minutes until syrupy. Allow to cool.

6.  Combine the cooled cooked fruit and reduced syrup with the raw fruit. (we like the mixture of cooked and not-cooked for better flavour and texture).

7.  Line a 1.8 litre pudding basin with two sheets of overlapping cling film (the edges of the cling film should hang over the top of the basin so that they can enclose the pudding).

8.  Cut the crusts off the bread and cut each slice into two rectangles.

9.  Thoroughly paint one side of each rectangle with the reserved syrup.

10.  Cut and paint a circle of bread that fits the bottom of the basin. Put this in the basin with the red side facing the cling film.

11.  Arrange the bread all the way around the inside of the basin, overlapping slightly where the joints meet, with the painted side always facing the cling film.

12.  Spoon the fruit into the basin and pack down well. Top neatly with the remaining painted slices of bread.

13.  Cover with the overhanging pieces of cling film and place a side plate holding a heavy weight on top to press it down. Put in the fridge and leave overnight.

14.  When ready to serve, remove the weight, open the cling film and invert the pudding on to a serving plate. Remove the cling film. Should there be any syrup left, using a pastry brush, daub any pale patches with it. Serve the pudding with cream.