MINI APPLE, APRICOT AND HAZELNUT CRUMBLES

These individual crumbles are scrumptious and so easy to make. You could equally make one large crumble — use a 1.2 litre (2 pint) ovenproof dish and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with cream, crème fraîche, or warm custard.

Serves 6 (special equipment 6 x size 1 ramekins – 150ml/5fl oz)

900g (2lb) Bramley apples, peeled and cut into 1cm (½in) cubes

175g (6oz) ready-to-eat dried apricots, snipped into small pieces

100ml (3½fl oz) apple juice

100g (3½oz) demerara sugar

100g (3½oz) plain flour

50g (1¾oz) cold butter, cubed

30g (1oz) hazelnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/ gas 6. Put the apples, apricots, apple juice, and all but 1 heaped tablespoon of the demerara sugar into a saucepan. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid, and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until the apples are just soft. Remove from the heat and divide among the ramekins.

Put the flour and butter into a mixing bowl. Using the tips of your fingers, rub the cold butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the remaining sugar and the hazelnuts and mix together.

Sprinkle the crumble topping over the apples in the ramekins, then place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until the crumble is light golden brown and the fruit is bubbling around the edges.