Rhubarb Crumble

Now there's no denying my love for crumbles; no matter how full I am, I can never say no to one for dessert! However, the creme de la creme of crumbles (or should I say, creme de la crumble) has to be rhubarb. Slightly sharp, a great texture, and with a perfect, deep, pinkish colour to boot - for me, nothing can beat it.

Serve up hot with a large dollop of extra thick double cream or custard for the perfect summer dessert.


Rhubarb Crumble

The Bare Necessities
For the Rhubarb:
700-750g Rhubarb (roughly how much you see in the picture)
140g Sugar
100ml Water

For the Crumble:
150g Flour
90g Butter
50g Sugar

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C/Gas mark 6/390F.
2.Wash the rhubarb thoroughly.
3. Chop the rhubarb up into medium sized chunks - about an inch or so long. They don't need to all be exactly the same size.
4. Pop into a saucepan with the water and sugar, and put on a medium heat until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. It's important to stir occasionally to make sure that all of the rhubarb cooks, but don't stir it too much or else it'll completely turn to mush!
5. Pour the rhubarb into a dish and leave it to sit. This allows some of the excess liquid to evaporate and also lets the rhubarb form a slight skin on the top, better enabling the crumble to rest on the rhubarb without sinking in.
6. In a bowl, pour in the flour and the butter. Rub the flour and butter between your fingertips until you get breadcrumbs.
7. Stir in the sugar.
8. Using a spoon, gently pour the crumble on top of the rhubarb. I use a sifting action with the spoon to prevent it from sinking.
9. Pop the crumble in the oven for approximately 
half an hour, or until the crumble has turned golden brown.
10. Serve up and enjoy!

Apple Crumble And Custard

You can always tell that the festive cheer has hit me when I start adding cinnamon and mixed spice to almost every sweet dish I do, so if anyone happens to be staying with me, they're a bit stuffed (haha get it? like Christmas turkey?!... never mind...) if they don't like the stuff!

Double whammy this week for you guys, for, like a true Brit, it is simply impossible for me to have crumble without custard. I sprinkled dark brown sugar on top of mine before you put it in the oven, it's up to you if you do too!

Apple crumble

Ok, so in this photo I missed out flour and vanilla, sorry!

3apples

1/2 cup/115g Sugar (proportional to in apple mush)

1/2tsp Mixed Spices

1 pod Vanilla

100g Butter

1  1/2cup Flour

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

4 Ginger Nut Biscuits

1. Peel apples.
2. Take out the core and pips and chop the apples into medium chunks.
3. Put the chopped apples into the saucepan with water (put the water to less than half where apples are-if that makes sense) and add the sugar, mixed spices and vanilla (take the seeds out of it and put those it, you don't need the outer thing).
4. Mix all together and then bring to the boil (there's no need to stir this constantly, just put the lid on and leave it alone, but keep watching it!).
5. Turn off the heat once the apples are cooked and foaming slightly, but try not to let it go too mushy (don't worry if it does though!) and leave to cool.
6. Breadcrumb the butter, flour and cinnamon together.
7. Combine with the crushed ginger nut biscuits.
8. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.
9. Pour the apple into a dish, only pour the crumble on straight before you put it in the oven to save it getting soggy.
10. Put in the oven for roughly 30 mins or until the top goes slightly golden. It's totally cool if some of the apple pokes through around the edges, it tastes great!




Custard

2 cups/500 ml Milk

few drops Vanilla Essence

6 Egg yolks

1/2 cup/100 g/4 oz Caster Sugar

2 tsp/10 ml Cornflour

1. Combine the milk and vanilla essence in a saucepan. Warm gently but do not let it boil.

2. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour together until creamy. 

3. Add the warm milk.

4. Strain the mixture back into the clean pan and cook SLOWLY, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens slightly (be careful not to let it curdle-if you do, just strain it through a sieve)

5. Serve hot or cold.