Very few desserts do all the things that a crumble can. Sure, it's mainly apple and butter and biscuity goodness - but it's also comfort, warmth and joy.
All of that combined? Well, that is something truly special, something to be savoured and enjoyed, particularly when it requires such very little manpower in its creation. I guess that's just clever cooking. The addition of blueberries and salted caramel ice cream make sure this old school favourite levitates.
Ingredients
7 apples, peeled, cored, chopped
zest of ½ lemon
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
pinch cinnamon
pinch ground cloves
pinch ground allspice
pinch nutmeg
250g fresh blueberries, plus extra to serve
Crumble
110g plain flour
80g brown sugar
100g butter
Salted caramel ice cream to serve
Method
Preheat oven to 160C.
Place the apple, lemon, caster sugar, vanilla bean paste and spices in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the apple just starts to soften. Remove from heat and stir through half the blueberries, before turning into a baking dish.
Combine the crumble ingredients in a small bowl, until you get a course crumb consistency, and scatter over the top of the apple and blueberry mixture.
Place in the oven and cook for 1.5 hours. If you think it is taking on too much colour, cover with foil and continue cooking.
To serve, scatter with fresh blueberries and scoops of salted caramel ice cream.