FAB FRUITY CRUMBLE WITH CUSTARD

A BREAD-BASED topping rather than the more traditional high-fat version still makes for a delicious crumble. It has plenty of crunch but far fewer calories and makes a good breakfast as well as a pudding. Serve with spoonfuls of fat-free natural yogurt, lower-fat custard (see below) or a drizzle of honey.

Serves 6

450g (1lb) Bramley cooking apples, peeled, cored and thickly sliced

4 plums (300g/10½oz), stoned and quartered

6 Conference pears, peeled, quartered, cored and thickly sliced

10g (¼oz) cornflour

25g (1oz) Demerara sugar

1 tsp grated lemon zest (around ½ lemon)

½tsp ground cinnamon

100ml (3½ fl oz) unsweetened apple juice

FOR THE CRUMBLE

1 egg white

100g (3½oz) porridge oats (not jumbo) 50g (1¾oz) white bread with crust removed, torn into small pieces

25g (1oz) Demerara sugar

PREHEAT the oven to 200c/Fan 180c/Gas 6. To make the filling, place the fruit, cornflour, sugar, lemon zest and cinnamon in a bowl and toss together. Tip the mixture into a shallow ovenproof dish and set aside. To make the crumble, whisk the egg white with a metal whisk until frothy and add the oats and bread. Stir gently to coat in the egg white. Pour the juice over the fruit before scattering the crumble on the top. Sprinkle the rest of the sugar over and bake for 50-60 mins or until the top is golden and fruit soft. You can freeze the assembled pudding in a freezerproof baking dish double wrapped in foil, for up to three months. To serve, bake from frozen, adding an extra 20 minutes to the cooking time or until the fruit is soft and the top golden. Cover with foil if necessary.