Crumble Topping

All those blackberries, scrumped apples from wild-growing trees, overripe pears, some late strawberries from the garden... we have an abundance of fruit at this time of year.

Crumble sounds like one of those old-fashioned 'puddings' that grandmothers make, or which are served in pubs, smothered in custard (with or without skin!). The stiky-dry pub version (cloys the inside of your mouth, welds itself to the back of your teeth) involves rubbing butter into flour and sugar. 

This version is much easier, tastier, better textured, and considerably healthier.


Crumble Topping
(for about 8 large apples stewed up, or equivalent in other fruit)

2 Cups Rolled Oats
2 cups Coconut
3/4 cup Sunflower Seeds
1/2 cup Raw Sugar
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup Oil
1/2 cup Cold water

Mix the ingredients and pat them onto the top of a baking dish of fruit (cooked or uncooked fruit).  Bake 30-45 mins at 170 - 180 degrees C - until golden and crispy on top.

And here is a two person version of a pear and raisin crumble in the making.

No 32 - Fred's Original Bran Muffins

Wow – way too long without adding anything to the Blog.  It’s not that I haven’t been in the kitchen; it’s pickle, jam and chutney season and I have been making batches of preserves for a Charity Craft Sale, and for my Xmas hampers.  I’ve also been taking advantage of a remarkably (considering our wet summer) good supply of blackberries on the hedgerows to fill the freezer with fruit for winter puddings, and to make Blackberry and Apple Crumble on a regular basis.

Despite a waterlogged start the allotment is finally producing enough vegetables to feed us so I have been freezing beans and corn, and turning some of the surplus courgettes into cakes and muffins.  Courgette doesn’t add any flavour to your cake but it does contribute wonderfully to texture, making even bran muffins soft and moist.

This muffin recipe started my own recipe collection.  Prior to learning to make these in the ‘Home Economics’ class at school (aged about 10) all the recipes I baked from were my Mum’s.  Mum never made muffins - no idea why not, but maybe because microwave defrosting hadn't been invented in those (old) days!

The addition of courgettes to these muffins extends their delicious life by another 24 hours or so.  For years after I set up my own household, I would make variations on these a couple of times a week, to eat with soup for our evening meals.  They freeze well and microwave defrosting means you can have a hot fresh muffin anytime.

Original Bran Muffin Recipe

In a pot gently warm:
1/2 cup milk
1 oz butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon golden Syrup
When the butter is melted add
1/2 tsp Baking Soda

Pour the contents of the pot into the dry ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup bran
3 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
Handful Sultanas

Then add
1 beaten egg

Mix the whole lot up and bake  - 15 -20 minutes at 170 -180 degrees C.  Makes 12.

That's the standard recipe.  In the line after the sultanas add your own - 1 cup (or so) of grated courgette, grated pumpkin, carrot, apple, pear....etc, 1cup of frozen black currants (now that's a good one if you can get them), and 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds, or chopped nuts, etc if you like a bit of crunch.