Apple Berry Crumble with Custard

There’s something about apple crumble that just invokes memories of childhood for me. I daresay there are many of you out there that feel the same. It’s one of those old classics that our mothers and grandmothers used to make for dessert after a Sunday roast, or for a large family gathering. It feels like comfort and love for me.

Now it would be presumptuous of me to think that you even needed a recipe for an apple crumble…..most people probably have one up their sleeve already. However, if you do fancy trying another, here is my version which I have adulterated with raspberries and blueberries to change things up a little.

Oh and I can’t have crumble without custard, so I’ve included my recipe for that as well.

Mel xoxo

serves 8-10

Ingredients

Fruit filling

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 tbsp cornflour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

7 large Granny Smith apples

1 cup each of raspberries and blueberries (fresh or frozen

1 cup water

zest of 1 lemon and 2 tbsp juice

Crumble

1 cup self raising flour

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

1/2 cup soft brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp fine salt

125g unsalted butter, softened

Custard

700ml full fat milk

4 eggs

150g caster sugar

40g cornflour

1 tsp vanilla

Method

Preheat the oven to 160C. Grease a large baking with butter.

Fruit

Combine the sugar, cornflour and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Peel and core the apples, cut into quarters and then slice into 5mm slices. Add the apples to the sugar mixture along with the raspberries and blueberries. Toss to coat with the sugar and then add the water, lemon zest and juice and mix well. Spoon the fruit into the prepared baking dish.

Crumble

Place all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Using your hands, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles chunky breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the crumble over the fruit. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the crumble is golden.

Custard

I’m giving you two methods to make the custard, one for the Thermomix and one for the stovetop.

Thermomix

Place all ingredients in the TM bowl and cook on 90C/SP3/12 mins (15 mins if you prefer a thicker custard).

Stovetop

Place the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Whilst the milk is heating up, place the eggs, sugar, cornflour and vanilla in a heatproof bowl and whisk together until smooth. Pour the heated milk over the egg mixture in a slow steady stream, whilst whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and return to low-medium heat, stirring constantly until the custard coats the back of a spoon and it reaches your desired consistency (bear in mind the custard will thicken as it cools).

Whichever method you use, make sure you sieve the custard into a serving jug to remove any cooked eggy bits.

Serve the crumble warm with lashings of custard.