Blackberry and Apple Crumble

Blackberries, the hedgerows are full of them and so are the blackberry bushes on our allotment.  In Britain, it is a national pastime scrumping apples, foraging for berries, and making that most autumnal of treats blackberry and apple crumble.

In the past, I've been out in the country foraging for berries but this year we have our own thanks to the previous plot owner.  They are lovely, plump, and juicy.  Best of all, I don't have to dodge the traffic to pick them.  Time to make that crumble.

To make the filling:

300 grams (about 6 medium) apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
30 grams of butter
30 grams of sugar
150 grams of blackberries

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat.  Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.  Now pour in the apple slices and gently cook them for about five minutes or until they just begin to soften.  Add the blackberries and cook for a few more moments.  When the apples are just about tender and stained a lovely colour with the berry juices, remove the fruit from the flame, pour it into a baking dish, and leave to cool a bit while you make the crumble topping. 

For the crumble topping:

100 grams oats
100 grams plain flour
100 grams sugar
100 grams butter

Rub all the topping ingredients together until you have a nice crumbly texture, rather like rough bread crumbs.   Sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling.  (Go ahead and sneak a bit of crumble ... you know you want to... I always do.)

Place the baking dish on a tray lined with baking paper before placing it into a pre-heated oven to bake - 170C/350F.  Bake until the crumble topping is a light golden brown and the juices are bubbling up around the edges of the dish, about 30-40 minutes.

I like my crumble served warm with a bit of vanilla ice cream.  Some folk prefer a rich custard on the side.  Down here in Devon, crumble is often topped with a big dollop of clotted cream.   It's up to you... enjoy!