Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Eating and Drinking => Cooking, Storing and Preserving => Topic started by: Lardman on November 17, 2021, 07:56
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Looking to improve my crumble topping, ideally from stuff I normally have in the cupboard.
At the moment I'm using
2 parts plain flour
1 part butter
1 pinch salt
Blitz to bread crumb texture then
1 part rolled oats
1 part demerara sugar
The result is rather - meh. Am I missing a secret ingredient to give it some pep ?
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This Nigel Slater one is good - a bit more butter and less dry ingredients than you used, but just a tweak on stuff you already have.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/applecrumble_89166
You can freeze crumble topping very successfully. I make a decent sized batch and freeze in portions big enough to cover the dish I usually use. If in need of emergency crumble (it happens :lol:), you can use it straight out of the freezer. Bash the bag to break it up if need be, sprinkle over filling of choice and bake :)
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I tend to use the old fashioned mix of: 8 oz flour: 3 oz butter: 5 oz sugar. This seems to give a good crumble. If I'm adding rolled oats I adjust the quantity of flour slightly to allow for this so that the mix isn't too dry. If I'm adding chopped nuts I don't bother, but just throw them in and stir through afterwards, same for coconut.
As New Shoot says, I tend to multiply the quantities and mix up a large batch then put it in the freezer in a bag. It doesn't stick together and you can take out as much or as little as you need. It means I can knock together a pudding very quickly if I'm short of time.
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I like to add a tablespoon, or 2 depending on batch size, to my crumble mix and, if I have them in the cupboard, throw a few flaked almonds on the top :)
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Looks like my ratio is off and needs to be 2:1 in total, I've said before I prefer pie but needs must as the devil drives.
How much sugar does that Slater bloke use :ohmy: , he is to sugar what Jamie Oliver is to garlic and James Martin is to butter ::) Flaked almonds are usually in the cupboard so I'll also try those next time; any spices worth adding ? I like a little sprinkle of cinnamon on the apples and was considering a pinch of ground cardamon in the crumble.
Once I have this sorted I'll knock some up for freezing, as there's an pudding emergency here too :tongue2: sometimes.
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I like to add a tablespoon, or 2 depending on batch size, of ground almonds to my crumble mix and, if I have them in the cupboard, throw a few flaked almonds on the top :)
Obviously I wasn't properly awake when I first posted, as I missed some info ::)
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I just assumed you'd borrowed my keyboard MoS :lol: Ground almonds are also a standard cupboard item so will try a no nut and then a nutty mix.
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I am very fond of crumble mix, also spices. I tend to add some to my crumble mix. ie: ground cloves, cinnamon, sometimes nutmeg or ground allspice. Not masses, but enough to think, thats nice. Good luck and enjoy, Mrs B.
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I always add porridge oats & too use Demerara sugar, plus various nuts as the mood takes, a few bits of dried fruit are nice too or I’ve even added granola on occasions, can’t tell you measurements as I just do it by eye.
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How much sugar does that Slater bloke use :ohmy:
It is to make the top really crisp up and get a crunch to it, but it is a sweet mix. I tend to like fairly unsweet fruit bases and so it works for me. If you use less it would be a softer more traditional topping.
Cardamom works really well. I sometimes use it with dried unsweetened coconut in the topping. Fresh ginger grated into apple is great as a base. Not tried ground ginger, but I think that would work in the topping. Gives a little kick to it all :)
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A dash of fruit vinegar perks up whatever's under the topping, in case you want to ring some changes there too :D
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I like to add a tablespoon, or 2 depending on batch size, of ground almonds to my crumble mix and, if I have them in the cupboard, throw a few flaked almonds on the top :)
Obviously I wasn't properly awake when I first posted, as I missed some info ::)
I had wondered! And assumed you meant rolled oats. So I'm very glad you clarified :D
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Last night attempt : Better, but still not right.
I'm using up the Jonagold apples before they turn mealy so that I think is impacting on the sugar effect dramatically. I didn't sweeten the apples, just a pinch of cinnamon but even with 50g of sugar in the topping as a desert, it was sickly sweet. It may be different with cooking apples in there but I'll need to leave the sugar out. I over blitzed the flour and butter and everything was too uniform and lacked texture, even with the oats and flaked almonds which didn't help.
Think I'll also have a look down the cereal isle for nutty/grainy stuff to add onto the next shopping.
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Try adding a tablespoon of lemon juice to your apples, it does help if using eating apples (or even for the so-called 'Bramleys' that Trashco are selling atm ::)
I have a little bottle of lemon juice in the fridge for just this kind of thing ;)
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A dash of fruit vinegar perks up whatever's under the topping, in case you want to ring some changes there too :D
Cider vinegar and I've got raspberry as well. I hadn't thought of that. Mrs B