Apple and lemon crumble with a nutty topping - Fern Verrow: Recipes from the farm kitchen by Harry Astley & Jane Scotter
The classic British crumble is a national treasure of a pudding. In this recipe Bramley apples, with their fabulous snowy texture, are combined with lots of lemon zest to make a wonderfully tangy pudding. If you use a different variety of apple, perhaps a less sharp one such as James Grieve or Egremont Russet, you may prefer to omit the tablespoon of sugar. Serve with cream, custard or ice cream – or all three, if you wish!
serves 4
500g Bramley apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon golden granulated sugar (or to taste)
grated zest of 2 large lemons
juice of 1 large lemon
For the crumble topping
50g whole hazelnuts
75g plain flour
100g ground almonds
90g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
65g golden granulated sugar
Heat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Spread the hazelnuts out on a baking tray and toast in the oven for about 15 minutes, checking them occasionally and giving them a shake to ensure they toast evenly. The skins will split and the nuts inside will be golden. Grind them in a food processor, leaving them slightly chunky. Alternatively, allow the nuts to cool a little, then place in a plastic bag, seal and give them a good bash with a rolling pin.
Put the flour and ground almonds in a mixing bowl, add the butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and hazelnuts.
Put the apples in a shallow 20cm ovenproof dish and scatter the sugar over them. Add the lemon zest and juice. Spoon the crumble over the apples and bake at 200°C/Gas Mark 6 for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 180°C/Gas Mark 4 and cook for a further 30 minutes, until the topping looks toasted and the apples are bubbling and juicy underneath.
Photography by Tessa Traeger. This book can be ordered at all good bookshops or online at quadrille.co.uk, Amazon, or Waterstones.