When it comes to comfort puddings there's little to rival a freshly made fruit crumble, a classic dessert that reminds us all of our childhoods.
Whether rhubarb, apple or summer fruits, eating it warm with a splash of double cream is like stepping into your own personal Tardis.
This crumble has a wintry melange of spices plus walnuts and oats, the last of which are best added separately instead of mixed in, so they toast rather than cook into a porridge. You could follow tradition and use a Pyrex casserole dish or roasting pan, but cooking it in a heavy cast-iron casserole pot means the heat from the pot will caramelise the apple compote, giving it a mouthwatering light brown colour.
Apple compote with spiced walnut crumble
Serves 4
Apple compote
5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
80g caster sugar
Place the apples in a saucepan with the sugar and cook over a low heat until the juice begins to come out of the apples.
Turn up the heat a little and cook until the apples are completely soft then remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.
Pastry base
75g unsalted butter
40g caster sugar
1 large egg
2tbsp milk
155g plain flour
Half tsp baking powder
Set the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
Beat the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon until pale and creamy, then stir in the egg and milk. Lastly, mix in the flour and baking powder and beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Spread the mixture over the bottom of a greased cake tin (approximately 22cm x 22cm x 5cm) and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
Once the pastry is cooked place the tin aside and leave the pastry to cool for 30 minutes in the tin.
Crumble
45g wholemeal flour
55g walnuts, chopped
A pinch of salt
45g caster sugar
1tsp ground cinnamon
Half tsp ground ginger
Half tsp freshly grated nutmeg
60g unsalted butter
50g oats
Set the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
Make the crumble by mixing all the dry ingredients except the oats in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a moderate heat then pour it over the crumble and mix together. Spread the apple compote over the pastry base then sprinkle the crumble mix over the top. Lastly, scatter the oats on top of the crumble mix and bake for 10-15 minutes.
WINE MATCH
2008 Coteaux Du Layon Beaulieu, Close De La Soucherie, France (Bibendum, £17.50)
An elegant wine from the Loire region with a bouquet of rose petals, orchard fruit flavours with underlying honeyed notes and a light, fresh acidity.
The Honours, 58a North Castle Street, Edinburgh. Visit thehonours.co.uk or call 0131 220 2513.
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