Seasonal Crumble Recipe

Prepare the fruit

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Peel, core and slice the apples and pears into 1cm-thick slices; halve or leave larger soft berries whole. Place the prepared fruit in a medium mixing bowl.

Add lemon juice, granulated sugar, cornstarch and ground cinnamon to the bowl with the fruit. Toss gently until fruit is evenly coated and cornstarch is fully distributed. Taste and adjust sugar if your fruit is very tart.

Transfer the fruit mixture to a small ovenproof baking dish sized to serve 2 family-style (about 20 x 15 cm / 2–3 cup capacity). Dot the surface of the fruit with the 10 g of unsalted butter (small pieces) so it melts into the filling while baking.

Combine the 3 tbs flour, 3 tbs rolled oats, 3 tbs light brown sugar, chopped toasted nuts (if using) and a pinch of fine sea salt in a bowl and whisk briefly to blend.

Cut the 40 g cold unsalted butter into small cubes. Using your fingertips, a pastry cutter or two knives, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces. Do not overwork — you want a variety of textures so the topping crisps unevenly.

Evenly scatter the crumble topping over the prepared fruit, covering the fruit but leaving a little fruit exposed at the edges so juices can bubble through.

Place the dish on a baking sheet to catch any bubbling juices. Bake in the preheated oven for 30–35 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the fruit filling is bubbling around the edges. If the topping browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil for the last 5–10 minutes.

Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes — this allows the filling to set slightly and makes serving easier. Meanwhile, warm the English custard gently on the stove or in a microwave until just steaming (do not boil).

Serve the crumble family-style straight from the baking dish with jugs of warm English custard alongside for guests to pour to taste.