Chunky apple crumble
Polenta and ground almonds add texture to the topping, while a little rosemary in with the fruit adds a herbaceous twist.
Ingredients
For the filling
- 4 large Bramley cooking apples (weighing about 900g/2lb)
- 1 large orange, zest and juice only
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 225g/8oz blackberries
- splash of water
- 30g/1陆 oz caster sugar
For the topping
- 55g/2oz ground almonds
- 140g/5oz plain flour
- 85g/3oz polenta (not quick-cook)
- 140g/5oz butter, cold
- 110g/4oz light muscovado sugar
- splash of water
To serve
- thick cream or custard
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
For the filling, peel, quarter and core the apples and cut into large chunks. Place in a shallow ovenproof dish.
Zest and juice the orange, adding the zest and juice to the apples. Mix together with your hands.
Bruise the rosemary sprigs and scatter over the apples. Toss over the blackberries, add a splash of water and scatter over the sugar.
For the crumble topping, place the almonds, flour, polenta, butter and sugar in a food processor and pulse briefly several times, just to mix. The mixture should look like coarse breadcrumbs.
Tip out into a bowl and add a splash of water. Use a spoon to mix briefly - it should be quite clumpy.
Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the fruit.
Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Turn down the heat to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and cook for a further 20-25 minutes, until the top is nicely browned and bubbling.
Serve with pouring cream or custard.