Blackberry and apple crumble

HERE’S my favourite crumble recipe, it’s perfect for this time of year to make use of all that falling fruit – if you have an abundance of pears rather than apples just substitute them instead.

Alternatively, frozen fruit is equally good.

Ingredients:

500g blackberries 1.5kg baking apples 100g caster sugar 300g flour – 150g plain wholemeal and 150g self raising 100g butter 60g digestive biscuits 60g ginger biscuits 75g porridge oats 50g demerara sugar 40g ground almonds One tsp cinnamon

This recipe makes enough crumble for two 8in round Pyrex dishes: one to use, one to freeze!

Recipe:

Peel, core and cut into small chunks the apples.

Place in a pan with the blackberries and caster sugar.

Top with water to just below the top of the fruit, bring to a gentle boil then simmer for 15 minutes, stirring all the time.

When the fruit is soft, split the mixture between the two Pyrex dishes to cool.

Meanwhile, to make the topping,t i siftift th the fl flours t togetherth i in a bowl, then rub the butter into the flour with your finger tips until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.

Crush the biscuits together and stir into the mixture along with the oats and ground almonds, then add approximately four tablespoonst bl off watert t to th the mixi t to slightly change the consistency to coarse and lumpy, rather than fine.

Spoon the mixture over the top of the fruit.

Finally, sprinkle with the cinnamon and demerara sugar. Carefully cover one for the freezer, and bake the other for 25 minutes in a moderate oven until slightly golden.

Serve hot with ice cream or piping hot custard.

Enjoy.

Lesley and her husband, Roberto, own Roberto’s Italian Diner on Ocean Plaza in Southport.

For more of Lesley’s recipes, pop by and say hello or go to www.ritaliandiner. co.uk