Apple and Rhubarb Nut Crumble

Rhubarb and Apple Nut Crumble

Apologies for the lack of posts recently. I had a recent impromptu trip to Tokyo which although absolutely fabulous, has made me lose track of time and already it has been 3 weeks since my last post. Yikes! I won’t even mention the number of blog posts that are in my Google Reader at the moment waiting to be read but I’ll look forward to catching up over the next few days. We are back in London for the next few weeks and I’m enjoying a few simple home comforts like catching up on British and European news. I value the BBC even more nowadays!

Thinking of all things British, I thought it would be a good idea to make a crumble. Simple enough but I was trying to avoid a heavy buttery topping. There is something about putting 150g of butter into a recipe that just doesn’t sit well with me at all. Dare I say it but at times, the toppings can be quite stodgy. The challenge then was to make a crumble with a reduced amount of butter, without losing out on flavor. A mixture of oats and nuts, similar to a Granola appealed to me right away. Now that Rhubarb is widely available  and we are in the midst of Bramley Apple Week, the filling for the crumble was a no-brainer! I always have a stash of flaked almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts in the store cupboard so I would make good use of my reserves.

Oven Baked Rhubarb and Apple Nut Crumble

Print Apple and Rhubarb Nut Crumble

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Serving Size: Serves 4 for Dessert

A typically British Winter Pudding with a reduced butter content and a crunchy nut topping.

Ingredients

Filling
• 485g of rhubarb stalks, cleaned and cut into rough chunks
• 2.5 Bramley apples, cored, peeled and cut into rough chunks
• 1.5 tbsp of clear honey
• 1 tsp of freshly grated ginger
• 1.5 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp of unsalted butter
Crumble
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup of porridge oats
• 1/2 cup flaked almonds
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 6 tbsp of all-purpose flour
• 1.5 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 4 tbsp of unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C
For the filling:
2. Melt the butter into a pan and sauté the rhubarb and apple to remove any extra water.
3. Add the cinnamon, honey and grated ginger, and continue to cook until all the liquid has evaporated.
4. Pour the fruit filling into an ovenproof dish.
For the crumble:
5. In a large bowl, mix together the hazelnuts, walnuts, oats, flaked almonds, flour, sugar and cinnamon.
6. When all these ingredients are combined, add the melted butter and ensure it combines sufficiently with the dry ingredients.
7. Spread the crumble evenly over the fruit filling.
8. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until an even golden brown color is achieved on the crumble.

Notes

The purists among you may wish to shell the hazelnuts before using them in the crumble. I was quite happy to keep the shell on and in no way did it detract from the taste or texture of the dish.

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In terms of nuts, I used what was in my store cupboard at the time but you could always use Brazil nuts, pistachios, pecans etc if you wanted a different variety.

Plated : Rhubarb and Apple Nut Crumble

A classic accompaniment to this dessert would of course be custard but if you wanted something lighter, you can try the crème anglaise from my Iles Flottantes post.

My other half is not a huge fan of desserts but he went back for second and third helpings so I reckon I must be doing something right!

I’m entering this into Credit Crunch Munch owned by Helen at Fuss Free Flavours and Camilla over at Fab Food for All. This month’s host is the very kind and effervescent Camilla. I’m hoping I fall within the guidelines Camilla since the only money I have spent is buying the fruit in season – the rest is all in my cupboard/fridge

Have you any tips on cutting butter out of puddings/desserts without ruining the taste? I’d love to hear more in the comments below.

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