recipe by Saskia Gregson-Williams
Ever since I can remember, making an apple crumble has been a family tradition. We would venture out blackberry picking in the the frost-bitten sun, with a big empty bowl, and a whole lot of hope. Growing up in the countryside, this kind of outing I would look forward to for days, I have always loved nature and knowing that I had harvested (almost) every ingredient myself was such a thrill and still is. This crumble, unlike the ones I used to make when I was little, is made with plums, too. We all forget about the sweet and juiciness of the plum, they are so delicious, and take this crumble to a whole new level. They’re in season at the moment in England too, so if you can’t find them where you live, you’re sure to be able to find them really cheaply at your local farmers market or supermarket.
The crumble itself is completely sugar- and gluten-free, made with gluten-free oats, flaxseeds, dates and cinnamon. It is so incredibly moorish, I could eat it all on its own. But once it seeps into the sweet and juicy fruit layer, boy oh boy – it melts in your mouth! It’s also incredibly easy to make, and takes no time at all, which means if you love it as much as I do, you can make it again and again with no fuss!
This crumble has been classed by my friends and family as ‘The Best’ crumble, and let me tell you they have had a lot of crumble tasting experience. They were all finding excuses to go back in the kitchen, and pick at a bit more! I absolutely devoured my helping(s) with a generous drizzle of sweet cashew cream, complete bliss.
Recipe:
Serves 8-12 (easily halved)
The Fruit filling:
6 Bramley Apples
3 Cups Blackberries
12 plums
1/2 cup Sultanas
2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp Agave (optional)
Topping:
3 Cups gluten free oats
1-2 Cups Oat flour (by grinding the oats) or 1-2 cups Brown rice flour
1/3 cup Flaxseeds
1 tsp cinnamon
Date Paste:
1/3 Cup Medjool Dates
3/4 cup water
For Vanilla- Cashew Cream:
Blend:
2/3 cup Cashew nuts, soaked for 1 hour
1/4-1/2 a cup of water
1 tsp of Vanilla extract
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Start by making the date paste: place the dates in a saucepan with the water and boil until soft enough to blend. Blend until smooth. For the topping: pummel, or slightly pulse 3 cups of gluten free oats. If your using oat flour, grind the oats until a floury consistency and add to bowl until the right texture. Mix in as much of the date paste as you need until everything sticks together, without being too sticky. For the filling: peal and slice the apples, and slice the plums. Add the Blackberries, Plums, Apples, Cinnamon and Sultanas to a saucepan with 1/4 cup water. Stew until the fruit softens. Pour into a crumble dish, and top evenly with the oat topping. Then put it all in the oven and bake for up to 30 minutes, until the topping is golden brown. For the vanilla cashew cream: simply blend! Serve with a drizzle of vanilla cashew cream!