Fruity Winter Puds Let’s get ready to crumble!

Apple crumble is my all-time favourite pud. It is so easy to make and never disappoints as a favourite Winter pudding. It reminds me of Sunday dinners as a child. It is comforting, a little bit tangy and at the same timesweet without being over indulgent.

Although there is less choice of fruits in season in winter, there are still plenty of puds you can enjoy.  Some homemade, fruity puds such as my apple crumble can even count towards your 5 a Day.  If you are sensible about portion sizes and amount of fat and sugar they contain, there is no reason why you can’t have a little treat now and then.

I always try and make the crumble with wholemeal flour, that way you are adding to the amount of fibre you are getting in your diet. I always add something crunchy like mjuseli, porridge oats or sunflower seeds to the crumble mix as well to give it an extra crumbly crunchy texture.

Mmm  Delicious!

Recipe  –  serves 6 medium size portions

 

For the fruit component:

2 large Bramley cooking apples

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon sugar

5 cloves

1 teaspoon of either Allspice/ ground nutmeg/cinnamon

 

Crumble:

150g wholemeal flour

75g margarine or vegetable/ vegan fat

3 tablespoons porridge oats

1 tablespoon muesli/ crunchy breakfast cereal

1 tablespoon dried fruit like raisins or apricots

1 tablespoon of sunflower/sesame/pumpkin seeds (optional)

1 tablespoon caster sugar

 

How to make it:

 Set oven at 200C before you start, that way it will be nice and hot for when you are ready to cook the crumble.

Fruit mixture:

Peel and chop cooking apples and place in a saucepan

Add honey, sugar and cloves and warming spices

Add enough water to cover half the fruit*

Gently bring to the boil and simmer until the fruit is soft  BUT not mushy

Leave to cool for about 10 mins and then spoon into a large baking dish

Meanwhile make the crumble:

Measure flour, margarine (vegetable/vegan fat) into a large bowl

Crumble together through your fingers

When mixture is starting to become a crumbly texture add the porridge oats, caster sugar and crunchy cereal

Crumble through your fingers

Add on top of fruit mixture

Pat down lightly and add dried fruit if you wish

Pop into the oven for 20-25 minutes on middle shelf

Serve with either custard, ice cream, yoghurt, soy yoghurt, crème fraiche, or if you are feeling indulgent single or double cream

*Apples have a high water content so on cooking will release moisture therefore you don’t need to add too much additional water when cooking in the pan.

If you have any frozen berries sitting in your freezer add these in too to give an even fruitier and healthier crumble.

For more on the nutritional wonders of fruit read through my fruity nutrition delights section.