Apple and Plum Crumble

Welcome to September! It’s officially autumn, and at Birchwood House, that means it’s time to share one of our favourite, warming puddings. The original recipe is by The Hedgecombers, and has become a staple in our kitchen.

Ingredients

Apple and plum crumble base

• 10 apples, peeled and chopped
• 14 plums, stoned and chopped
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

Apple and plum crumble topping

• 270g salted butter
• 150g plain flour
• 150g brown sugar
• 75g oats

Instructions

The base

1. Peel the apples, then cut them in half and remove the core. Dice them into bitesized chunks. Put them in a large saucepan with a dash of water. Place the lid on and bring them to a gentle simmer over a medium heat for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cut the plums in half, and then into quarters, removing the stone as you go.
3. Remove the pan of apples from the heat, mix in the plums, the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir well.
4. Tip the mixture into a large pie dish and put to one side whilst you make the topping.

The topping

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Put the butter and flour into a mixing bowl. Use your fingers tips to cut the two together until it resembles breadcrumbs. If you have a food processor, you can pulse these ingredients together instead.
3. Now add in the sugar and oats, and mix together well.
4. Remove the lid from the fruit and pour over the topping, then smooth it gently into one layer using a spoon.
5. Place the crumble (without the lid) into a preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is golden and the fruit juices are bubbling up in places.

If you’re feeling more in the mood for a hearty savoury dish, try this prawn and chorizo pasta. It offers a perfect mix of sweet and smoky flavour.