This is a prime example of my general philosophy on cooking for the family – take a classic and ramp it up with vitamins and extra goodness.

Most of us have a pet crumble formula that we wheel out at this time of year. I’ve taken one and added a few more ingredients to maximise the benefits to their nutrition, cloaked in the guise of a delicious seasonal favourite. The extras only add to the crumble experience and make you a little smug that you’ve got one over on them on the seeds and oats front. Seeds offer beneficial protein and omegas, oats slow burn energy. I use wholemeal flour because you may as well over white for extra goodness.

The fruit you use is of course up to you – what took your fancy in the market, what you have collected from the trees or what was on offer in Tesco’s. I used apple and raspberries in this one but can often be found mixing in figs, chopped dates, blueberries, plums, raisins, dried fruit…..you get the drift.

As with most of my recipes, this can be easily adapted in size to suit the number of people at the table that evening. Just don’t be mean with the crumble topping. Mean = bad and they won’t thank you for it. At least here extra crumble comes with its benefits.

 

Supercharged Crumble – serves 8

4/5 cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced

200g raspberries

For the syrup:

zest & juice of 1 lemon

1 tblsp light brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp fresh nutmeg

1 x tsp wholemeal flour

For the crumble topping:

100g wholemeal flour

50g ground almonds

100g light brown sugar

125g butter (half a pack) cold and cubed

50g rolled oats

50g mixed seeds

50g chopped mixed nuts

 

Preheat oven to Gas 5/375/190 dg.

Take a large, deep pie dish and arrange the sliced apple and other fruit evenly over the base of it.

Mix all the syrup ingredients together well until you have a well combined emulsion and drizzle over the fruit.

Combine all the crumble ingredients together in a bowl “rubbing” between your hands like Granny showed you or alternatively pulse gently in a food processor until resembling breadcrumbs.

Dump thickly and evenly over the fruit in the dish and pop in the oven for 25-35 minutes whilst you go outside and run about kicking crunchy leaves around the grass. Remove from the oven when golden on top and bubbling comes from beneath the crumble.

Serve with good quality vanilla ice cream, frozen yoghurt, low fat creme fraiche or go mad and get the cream out.

Enjoy!