Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble

madnad

Spring, once it properly arrives, brings with it the first fruits. Early Rhubarb and Strawberries appearing in the garden is always cause for celebration, and what better way to use them than in this traditional British dessert – the crumble.

The crumble originated in the second world war, as a quicker, easier alternative to pastry, and would have originally used whatever fat was available at the time. Due to strict rationing at the time, the ingredients required to make the bases of pies contained too much of the necessary flour, fat and sugar. In the US, it would probably be referred to as a crisp.

Much like shortbread, the crumble should be 1 part sugar, 2 parts butter/fat and 3 parts flour. The substitution of some of the flour with ground almond in this recipe adds an extra level of nuttyness that works particularly well with stoned fruits, but it is completely optional.

You can use just about any fruit in a crumble, apple being the most popular. With Rhubarb, much like with some variety of apples, its best to soften the fruit in a pan with a little sugar and water before putting in your baking dish. The strawberry does not need any precooking.

Basic Crumble topping

Ingredients

  • 25g Caster Sugar
  • 25g Demerera Sugar
  • 100g Unsalted Butter (chilled and cubed)
  • 50g Ground Almonds
  • 100g Plain Flour
  • ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon (alternatively, use Ground Ginger)
  • handful Rolled Oats (optional)
  • 900g Fruit (cooking apples need to be softened in a pan first)

Directions

1. Mix the flour, ground almonds and spices in a large mixing bowl
2. Rub in the cold butter with the pads of your fingers until a bread crumb consistency is achieved. Try and do this by hand, but if you do use a processor, pulse so as not to over blend. You dont want the crumbs to be too fine
3. Add in the sugars, and stir through
4. Sprinkle a little water over the top and rake through with a fork until a few small lumps are formed
5. Place the crumb mixture in the freezer for 10 minutes while you pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 6 / 200°C / 400°F
6. Put the fruit into a buttered shallow baking dish. If needed, sprinkle with a little extra sugar
7. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit evenly. Do not press down. Lastly, sprinkle with a handful of oats if using then bake for ½ hour until the fruit is hot and bubbling
8. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving with custard, or ice cream
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