WTSIM Plum and Apple Crumble

We are yo-yo-ing between summer and autumn here in the Cape, though it's almost unheard of to even have a wisp of autumn in February. Usually we are gasping from the heat of a week of 40 degrees, suriving only by constant immersion in the pool and living off salads and braais... bread-baking a trial to undertake only when the relative cool of evening brings the temperature down a notch or two. This week we’ve had two or three mornings of light mist, chill and dew that sent the kids off to school in warm tops and long pants, and last Sunday it was crazily cool enough to cook a Sunday lunch and even brave a hot pudding, so that I can blog it for Johanna’s latest WTSIM event, the theme of which is hot puds.

Writing this a week later, when we look set to be hotting up for a scorching summer day, my seasonal antennae are totally confused and even thinking about hot puddings is enough to bring me out in a light film of perspiration, but it tasted good enough last Sunday and the kids were all really happy to be at the roast chicken and roast potatoes again. We’ll be back to braaiing again today though!

I had big plans for the hot pudding theme, to strike out in a new direction, and I’d rifled the recipe books and come up with Nigel’s Lemon Surprise pudding to try. But then time pressure and oven space constraints sent me hurtling back to the familiar domain of fruit crumble and custard, which turned out to be a better choice for the weather, which was coolish summer rather than the chilly winter that the lemon pudding is aimed at combatting.

Since the plum, apple and cinnamon combination turned out so well in the sweet quiche recipe, I went back to that and, though I went looking for variations and found Jeanne’s grown up spicy plum crumble, I ended up just going the child-friendly cinnamon spice route. I was glad I had as even our son went for seconds and ate up the whole lot.



Plum and Apple Crumble Recipe
6 generous portions

For the topping
150g flour
100g butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
75g sugar
100g oats
2 tablespoons water

Fruit
8 large plums
3 green apples
1 teaspoon cinnamon
sugar

Rub the butter into the flour and spice. Stir in the oats and sugar, then add the water and mix so the mixture has rough crumbly texture. Chill in the fridge till needed.

Stone the plums and cut into chunky pieces. Peel and core the apples and cut into similar sized pieces. Butter a roasting dish or other oven proof dish and put all the fruit in, so it covers the base and at least half fills it. Sprinkle over the sugar and cinnamon. The amount of sugar depends on the sweetness of the fruit and how sweet you like it. Spread over the crumble topping and bake at 180C for about 40 minutes till golden. Serve with lots of custard or cream...or both!