There is only one month left of summer and while everyone else is busy catching the last rays of sun, I am trying to make the most of all the wonderful summer fruits at Natoora before they go out of season.
One of my new favourites is the Reine Claude Doree greengage. It is the variety from which all other greengage plums originate. Doree means golden; unlike most greengages, which have green flesh, these are golden when fully ripened.
The golden, jammy flesh of the Reine Claude Doree works beautifully in this summer crumble. The natural sweetness of the fruit is well balanced with crisp, tart green apples. Sweetened with honey and topped with a crumble packed with cobnuts, this recipe turns a simple dessert into something special.
In summer, I suggest serving the crumble with vanilla ice cream or cream, rather than custard, though I know some Brits will think this sacrilegious.
Oh, and if for you the fruit is really just a vehicle for the crumble, as it is for me, I suggest doubling the quantity of crumble.
I’ll be cooking this for my Natoora demo this Friday. Come by and have a try.
Serves 6-8.
Ingredients
For the stewed fruit:
1kg crisp, green apples, e.g. Granny Smith
1kg Reine Claude greengages
¼ cup water
150ml honey, or to taste
For the crumble:
60g light brown sugar
70g flour
70g rolled oats
½ tsp cinnamon
50g butter
100g cobnuts
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
To prepare the fruit, peel and core the apples and cut into eighths. Cut the greengages in half and remove the stem and stones. Place the apples and greengages in a large saucepan with the water and cook until just soft. Sweeten with honey, to taste, and take off the heat.
To prepare the crumble, put the sugar, flour, oats and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and give a quick stir to combine. Add the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingers; when you press the mixture firmly in your palm it should hold together, but then disintegrate into a breadcrumb-like mixture in the bowl.
Remove the pods and shells of the cobnuts and discard. Finely chop the cobnuts and add to the crumble mixture. Mix again with your hands to combine.
Put the stewed fruit in a large baking dish. Sprinkle the crumble over the top just before baking (or it will get soggy). Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is crisp and golden.
