Its been a while since I have posted on the blog but here’s to a fresh start. Not that there was a dearth of topics to write upon. Quite the opposite in fact.
Living in a nation where so many festivals pass by every other day, the availability of cuisines and traditional dishes cooked on these occasions is huge.
Was just short of time and apart from that, wanted to make sure whatever I write about has some individuality to it. Never too keen on writing just for the heck of it..
Anyway, back to our topic for the day..FRUIT CRUMBLES!!! A recent talk with a friend from my university over the recipe of apple crumble made me come up with this topic. She wanted a simple recipe for an apple crumble.I shared the one that was available with me, a recipe taught to me by my housemate during my time in University. She was an experimental cook and a good one at that. Her love for baking was infectious. In fact, learning to make crumbles and pies from her got me interested in the art of baking.
Those were the days....University cooking was all experimental. If it turned out good, we had a decent meal..If not…well, we had to eat it anyhow..Couldn’t just go to sleep on an empty stomach..
For a bit of extra info, crumbles originated in Britain. They could be sweet or savory – depending on what you want. Sweet can be made with fruits, custard et al..Savory - fillings could be vegetables, meat etc.
Here’s the recipe generously taught to me by my dear friend in University. Hope this works for you all too..
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| APPLE CRUMBLE |
Ingredients :
Thinly sliced apples [drizzled with a little lemon juice to prevent oxidation]
Half pack digestive biscuits – crushed finely
Half cup – melted butter
Half cup – mix of powdered sugar with a teaspoon of freshly powdered cinnamon
Half cup – plain flour
Frozen butter cubes – 1 cup
Method :
1. Mix the crushed biscuits with the melted butter and layer thickly on a pie tin base.
2. Chill for a few minutes.
1. Mix the crushed biscuits with the melted butter and layer thickly on a pie tin base.
2. Chill for a few minutes.
3. Layer the base with sliced apples. Dust with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Repeat the apple layer and sugar dust again. Build upto 3 layers of each.
4. Mix the plain flour, balance sugar and cinnamon mixture and the butter cubes. Mix using finger tips to avoid melting the butter up. The consistency should be bread crumb like.
5. Cover the apple layer with this mixture.
6. Bake in an oven for about 10 minutes until the crumb mixture is a bit browned.
7. Serve warm or chilled – as you like. This is my version of an apple crumble.
You can even add in a bit of honey, brown sugar for a little more richness as desired.
Note: You can also throw in a few blueberries along with the apples. Makes a delicious combination.
Many more combinations are possible in crumbles..You could have a summer berry crumble with strawberries , raspberries and blueberries. A pear and apple crumble would be excellent as well. Peaches and plums make a delightful combination too.
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| BERRY CRUMBLE |
Its all upto your imagination and risk taking ability really.. plus of course, the availability of the fruits in your area.
Since the topic has touched upon university cooking and experiences, my next few posts will focus on different cuisines learnt from friends in University, the good and the bad parts all included…For the time, I hope the fruit crumble episode interests you!
