RECIPE

COMFORTING BLACKBERRY AND APPLE CRUMBLE

With brambles ripening from late July though to September, whether you have a frozen glut to use up or are cooking with some shop-bought blackberries these classic flavour combinations from Annie-Mae Herring make the most of these fragrant berries in her take on the traditional British pudding.

Foraging hedgerows for food is an enjoyable pastime for young and old and a great way to connect with nature. If you’re unsure on what to pick and when, you can tell by the colour: blackberries should be a deep purple to black colour and the fruit should come off the plant easily. You can also tell by taste; ripe blackberries should be a perfect blend of sweet and tart – just be sure to give them a quick rinse first!

SERVES:
4-6 people

COOKING TIME:

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For the Crumble

260g Plain Flour

20g Shortbread

20g Oats

200g Salted Butter

140g Dark Brown Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

1 tsp Cinnamon

Pinch of Salt

1 tbsp Demerara Sugar to Garnish

(optional) Pecans/Walnuts

For the Fruit

250g Blackberries

200g Bramley Apples, cubed into 3cm chunks

100g Blackcurrants

80ml Creme de Cassis (or a very good quality blackcurrant cordial)

2 tbsp Salted Butter

2 tbsp Lemon Juice

1 tbsp Cornflour

100g Caster Sugar

1/3 tsp Cinnamon Powder

2 Cloves

For the Custard

90g Dark Brown Sugar

500ml Jersey Milk or Whole Milk

200ml Double Cream

3 Egg Yolks

1 tbsp Cornflour

1 tbsp Vanilla Bean Paste

Pinch of Salt

METHOD

1. Start by adding all your fruity ingredients together into a large mixing bowl (except the butter). The sugar will draw out lots of the juice from the fruit.

2. Allow to sit for 1 hour.

3. Blitz your shortbread in a food processor until you achieve a powder. Then add all of your ingredients for the crumble into a bowl.

4. Using your fingers, pinch everything together until you have achieved thick crumbs. This should take about 5 minutes.

5. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees fan. Pour your fruit mixture into a baking dish and add the butter dotted around the top of the fruit.

6. Then add an even layer of your crumble topping. Sprinkle demerara sugar and a few crushed pecans/walnuts for a crunchy top!

1. Start by adding all your fruity ingredients together into a large mixing bowl (except the butter). The sugar will draw out lots of the juice from the fruit.

2. Allow to sit for 1 hour.

3. Blitz your shortbread in a food processor until you achieve a powder. Then add all of your ingredients for the crumble into a bowl.

4. Using your fingers, pinch everything together until you have achieved thick crumbs. This should take about 5 minutes.

5. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees fan. Pour your fruit mixture into a baking dish and add the butter dotted around the top of the fruit.

6. Then add an even layer of your crumble topping. Sprinkle demerara sugar and a few crushed pecans/walnuts for a crunchy top!

7. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown and fragrant.

8. Meanwhile, make the custard. Heat the milk, cream and vanilla bean paste together until simmering and remove from the heat.

9. Add the sugar, salt, egg yolks and corn flour into a bowl and whisk until combined into a thick paste.

10. Slowly pour a tiny amount of your warmed milk mixture directly into the egg mixture and whisk until combined. Pour this back into the milk pot and stir again to combine.

11. Turn this back onto the heat and stir your custard with a spatula until thick and creamy. This should take 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy hot or cold, either way, pour all over your crumble and enjoy!