I like my crumble delicately crumbly but at the same time moist under the crumb!
I catch it when the fruit just starts to ooze their juices in a caramelized fashion, way up the sides of the dish, when it gets sticky and bubbly then it is ready to come out of the oven.
Crumble is a great family favorite and a fantastic way to make the most of seasonal fruits. I find fruits that are slightly tart make the best crumbles.
Bramley apples, rhubarb, apple and blackberry, damson, plum, and gooseberries are fantastic for making crumbles.
If you are looking for a quick, simple dessert to throw together make a crumble!
200 gr plain gluten-free flour or rice flour
100 gr ground almonds
40 gr butter unsalted
60 gr unrefined sugar
Pinch of salt
Rhubarb about 8-12 stems
2 Vanilla pods
50 gr sugar
A little water if it becomes dry
Wash then chop the rhubarb into 2-3 inch pieces. Put them into an oven tray, sprinkle with sugar and add in the vanilla pods. If you split the pods lengthwise you will get the seeds dispersed into the sauce too. Cover with foil and make a few holes on the cover with a fork to let the heat in.
Bake in a hot oven at 180 or gas mark 5 till soft and let its juices out about 20-30 minutes. Let sit aside.
MAKE THE CRUMBLE TOPPING:
Put the gluten-free flour into a bowl and add the cold butter. Cut the butter with a knife to distribute it into small particles. You can add your salt too. Then gently work it with your fingertips till you get a breadcrumb texture, add in the almonds and sugar, and mix to combine.
Now you can either keep the rhubarb in the oven dish it is or transfer it to another dish if you like. Scrape in all the juices that are in the dish. I chose a glass pyrex bowl because I wanted deep fruit and not a large crumble surface. Gently press down to allow the crumble to sit on top and not go straight to the bottom of the dish between fruit pieces.
Top the fruit with the crumble keeping the crumbly texture. Top up till you have about 1cm or 1/2 an inch layer of crumble.
Bake in the oven at 160C or gas 4 bake for about 35-40 minutes or till golden and juices start to bubble up the sides of the baking dish.
Serve with cream, yogurt, ice cream, or coconut milk. Enjoy.
