Apple & almond crumble pie

‘The problem with crumbles is that they’re all about the topping, but there’s no structure to keep them together. With fruit pies, the pastry can be a bit heavy and one-dimensional. What’s the solution? A crumble pie! Here, you get the best of both – a warm dessert that slices neatly and delivers two textures of pastry. We’ve made ours with apples, but you can fill it with your favourite fruits of the season.’

SERVES 6 PREP 50 mins plus standing COOK 40 mins EASY V

8 eating apples (Granny Smith or

Braeburn work well)

50g golden caster sugar

½ tsp mixed spice

2 tbsp plain flour, plus extra

for dusting

500g block shortcrust pastry 1 egg, beaten (optional) clotted cream, custard or ice

cream, to serve

For the crumble

50g plain flour

50g ground almonds

70g golden caster sugar 70g cold butter, cut into cubes 30g flaked almonds

1 First, make the crumble. Tip the flour, ground almonds, sugar and a pinch of salt into a bowl, then rub in the butter with your fingers until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the flaked almonds and chill until needed. Can be prepared up to two days ahead and chilled.

2 Heat the oven to 200C/180c/gas 6 with a baking tray inside. Peel, core quarter and slice the apples, then tip into a bowl with the sugar, mixed spice and flour. Toss well and set aside. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface until it’s large enough to line a 20-22cm pie dish. Line the dish with the pastry, then trim and crimp the edge. Alternatively, re-roll the pastry trimmings into an 80cm-long strip, then cut into three thin, long strips, and arrange into a 1cm-wide plait. Arrange the plait around the edge of the dish, and brush with some beaten egg.

3 Spoon the apples into the base, then scatter over the crumble. Bake on the hot tray for 35-40 mins until the topping is toasted and the pastry is deep golden. Leave to stand for 10 mins, then serve warm with cream, custard or ice cream.

GOOD TO KNOW 1 of 5-a-day

PER SERVING 765 kcals • fat 44g • saturates 17g •

carbs 78g • sugars 36g • fibre 5g • protein 11g •

salt 0.7g