Apple and blackberry crumble
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Apple and blackberry crumble
‘The British crumble dates back to second-world-war rationing, when it was created as an economical alternative to a pastry crust. By comparison, it is only recently that the French have caught on to the joy of “le crumble”, but it is fast becoming a firm favourite with us too. I bake the crumble topping twice for extra crunch.’
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Raymond Blanc
A self-taught chef from the Franche-Comté region of France, Raymond Blanc OBE is chef-patron of the world-famous Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire, which has held two Michelin stars since 1985.
Raymond Blanc
A self-taught chef from the Franche-Comté region of France, Raymond Blanc OBE is chef-patron of the world-famous Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire, which has held two Michelin stars since 1985.
Ingredients
For the twice-baked crumble topping
- 120g plain flour
- 60g caster sugar
- 60g demerara sugar
- 60g unsalted butter, cut into 2cm cubes, at room temperature
For the apple and blackberry compote
- 80g caster sugar
- 6 apples, such as cox or braeburn
- 60g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 250g blackberries
To serve (optional)
- vanilla ice cream
Step by step
You can prepare the unbaked crumble topping and the fruit compote a day ahead. Store separately in airtight containers in the fridge.
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Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. For the crumble topping, in a large bowl, combine the flour and both sugars. Add the butter and rub it into the flour and sugar with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
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Scatter the crumble topping directly onto a baking tray and bake for 15-18 minutes until lightly coloured. Set aside to cool.
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Put 20ml water in a large saucepan, evenly sprinkle over the sugar and leave to absorb. Peel, halve and core the apples and cut them into 2–3cm chunks; set aside. Over a medium-high heat, cook the sugar syrup to a pale blonde caramel (about 4 minutes), then remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Add the diced apples, return to a medium-low heat and cook for 8–10 minutes.
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Stir the blackberries into the hot apples, remove from the heat and tip the fruit and juices into a large gratin dish (we used a 28cm oval dish). Leave to cool slightly before cooking.
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Scatter the baked crumble mixture over the cooled fruit to form an even layer. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then allow to stand for 5-10 minutes. Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream, if you like.
