An Autumn Sunday, a walk in the woods (or the park) and a lovely crumble waiting to be enjoyed when you get home, smothered in creamy custard to take the chill out of your bones. Apple and blackberry are bang in season at this time of year, and though of course there is merit in rhubarb for the crumble, the apple and blackberry pairing just sums up English sweets for us. This recipe uses our cinnamon sugar blend in the crumble, and our vanilla sugar for the custard, just for extra luxury.
01.
Ingredients
120g plain flour
60g cinnamon sugar
60g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
300g apples, peeled cored and diced
30g unsalted butter
30g demerara sugar
115g blackberries
1tsp ground mixed spice
200ml double cream
700ml whole milk
4 large egg yolks
3tbs cornflour
200g vanilla sugar
02.
Method
- First, prepare the fruit. Put the butter and sugar in a saucepan and melt together over a medium heat, then cook gently for 3 mins until the mixture turns to a light caramel.
- Stir in the apples and cook for another 3 minutes before adding the blackberries and the mixed spice and cooking for 3 minutes more. Set aside while you prepare the crumble.
- Tip the flour and sugar into a large bowl, add the butter and rub in to make a light breadcrumb texture. Spread this onto a baking sheet and place in an oven preheated to 190c for 15 mins, until lightly coloured.
- Spoon the fruit compote into a baking tray, then top with the crumble mix and finish for 15 mins in the oven.
- For the custard, put the cream and milk into a large pan and slowly bring it to just below boiling point (take care, eruptions are messy!) In a large bowl whisk together the egg yolks, vanilla sugar and cornflour.
- Now add the warmed milk and cream, whisking constantly, before returning everything to the pan and heating gently, stirring all the time, until the custard thickens.
