Blackberry & Apple Crimble Crumble

Last week I posted a messy pie you're probably bored of the combination of blackberry and apple, luckily, I've added a couple of variations for the crimble crumble (as I sometimes call it), but the beauty of this dish is that you can make it with literally any fruit, take Emily's Strawb and Rhubarb crumble!

This is one of my personal favourites, with rhubarb and apple coming a very close second place.
Again, like my chilli , everyone has their own little twist on the crumble topping, but whatever goes into it, one thing stays the same, the top must remain crumbly!

Generally, the crumble recipe works to half the sugar and fat to the flour.

8oz plain flour
4oz butter at room temp
4oz soft brown sugar (light or dark)
2 1/2 handfuls rolled oats
3/4 tsp cinnamon

Weigh all of your ingredients out, then place the flour and the butter in a bowl together.
Now isn't the time to worry about your nails, get your hands in there and start rubbing the butter and flour together.

Once the consistency is similar to that of breadcrumbs, go and wash your hands (stirring isn't fun with buttery paws), pour in the sugar and work it in. I used brown sugar, just because it goes more caramelly than say, caster sugar, and it gives it more depth and makes it more of a snuggly pudding to eat.

Now, this is when you freestyle.
I like to add oats because it breaks the otherwise simple crumble mixture up.

Then I also add cinnamon.

Cinnamon is one of my favourite spices, it reminds me of autumn and crunchy leaves, so that's how I think of it, perhaps if I was making a plain apple crumble with some sultanas hidden away under a crispy crumble layer, I might add a little ginger, just to jujj things up a little, but now we're officially in Autumn, and now that Tesco are officially selling Lindt Father Christmases(!?), I'm using cinnamon.

For the fruity layer:

3-4 bramley apples (you don't have to add the extra fruit, flying solo is just as good!)
As many or as little blackberries as you desire, if you don't have blackberries, try using several handfuls of raisins or even some chopped dates, because as you cook it, the dates will go deliciously, and innocently toffee like, without the added calories.
1/2 cup caster sugar

Peel and chop those apples, cut them into sort of 1 inch chunklets, sprinkle this and the extra goodies (the blackberries or raisins or dates, whatever you choose) into the bottom of a good sized wide dish.

Evenly pour the sugar over the fruity bits, you may need slightly more.

Once that's done, toss on your crumble so it's nice and thick, with no fruit peeping through.

Put this in the oven for about 30-45 mins at about 200C, depending on how deep you've built your crumble.
Take it out when the top is toasted lightly, and some of the fruity juices might be seeping through.
Obviously, if it's blackened, take it out too, but don't eat that!

I served this for pudding at Josh's surprise birthday party, with buckets of double cream and big scoops of lovely vanilla ice cream (so underrated), making it utterly decadent for such a simple, traditional pud.