The Perfect Autumnal Dessert.....

Even though we've now entered Autumn it seems to be the ideal time for pears and apple to be growing, they seem to be popping up everywhere (i mean apart from the supermarket...). The other day one of our neighbours gave us some of their homegrown apples and pears, they weren't totally ripe so we couldn't eat them as they were, so my mum assigned me the task of concocting a culinary delight with them...




So they're a bit bruised, they're irregular, they don't boast a shine worthy of a Colgate advert...but they're the way nature intended them to be...

Apple, Pear and Date Crumble

For the Crumble Topping:

75g/3oz of margarine
175g/6oz of plain flour
About two tablespoons of sugar ( i added brown sugar, but you can add white if you want)

• Place the flour in a bowl, add the margarine and cut it up with a blunt knife (this prevents the margarine from melting with the heat from you're hands)


• Chop it up unil you can't chop any more then start with your hands.... the technique is to face your palms upwards scoop some of the mixture into your hands then gently rub the mixture with your thumbs until the mixture ressembles breadcrumbs


• Once it is bread crumb like add the sugar and mix it in gently without destroying the bread crumb like texture thingy...
  

For the Fruit Filling:

I used what's in the picture basically, so that's 5 apples and 4 pears,

• You need to chop ( the size depends on how chunky you want the peices to be in the crumble) and peel the fruit and put it in a small pan with about a cup of water


• Add some sugar, this depends on how sweet you want it and how sweet/sour your fruit is


• Cook until the fruit is soft and has begun to puree, again this depends on your taste you can have it with some bite and leave the chunks quite big or you can go for the baby food option....


• I also added some dried dates towards the end and some cinamonn for an autumn touch. You could also use berries, peach, apricots or whatever you want


• Place the fruit in an oven proof dish and place the crumble on top, just sprinkle it don't press it down otherwise it won't be crumbly, it will be more of a stodgy texture...


• Cook on a low heat in the oven until the top is golden, serve straight away with custard mmmm.....