The weather has been a bit all over the place this summer; hot one minute, raining the next. I imagine that this has been a nuisance for those who are very seasonal with their food; eating stews in the winter and salads in the summer. Thankfully, I am not at all like that. I have porridge nearly everyday, and enjoy a roast dinner even when the weather is 28C (however I would prefer not to be the person in the kitchen cooking it). Therefore, when I found myself with some spare apples, I thought what better to make than a good old-fashioned crumble.
I am a big fan of fruit crumbles; apple, pears and blackberries being my favourite. However sometimes it is nice to add a few extra elements, which is why I thought to add chocolate and almonds. I also add oats in my crumble mixture, as it gives an extra crunch and another texture.
Ingredients
Stewed Apples
5 apples (skinned, cored and sliced)
2 tbsp caster sugar
5 tbsp water
1 tsp mixed spice
Crumble Topping
85g butter (cold and cubed)
50g oats
100g plain flour
75g caster sugar (plus a bit extra to sprinkle on top)
2 tbsp cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
Handful of flaked almonds
Place the stewed apple ingredients in a medium saucepan, place over a medium heat and leave to simmer until the apples are soft (about 15 to 20 minutes). Drain the excess juice and place the apples in the crumble tin (I only had 3 apples, hence why my photo looks slightly sparse!)
Preheat the oven to 190C. Put the butter, oats, flour, salt, sugar and cocoa powder in a large bowl, and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles crumbs. Pour the crumble mixture over the apples and press down firmly. Sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar over the topping and place in the oven. After 10 minutes remove from the oven, scatter over some flaked almonds, and place back in the oven for a further 15-20 minutes.
Serve hot with custard or ice-cream – enjoy 
Discussion
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