Plum crumble is a favourite of mine. To make the crumble more versatile, I cook it separately, so I can layer it on thickly, scatter it lightly, or even eat it on its own. I make a big batch to use on all kinds of fruity/creamy puddings and store it in an airtight container – it keeps for a couple of weeks but rarely lasts that long in our house.
Serves 4
For the ‘independent crumble’
225g plain flour
A pinch of fine sea salt
200g cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
150g granulated or demerara sugar
100g medium oatmeal, ground almonds or porridge oats
For the fruit
30g butter, softened
8 large plums
2 tablespoons soft brown sugar or honey
4–8 star anise (optional)
To serve
4 generous scoops of vanilla ice cream
For the crumble, which you can make ahead, preheat the oven to 180oC/Gas 4. Put all the ingredients into a large bowl and rub together with your fingertips until you have a crumbly dough. Squeeze the mixture in your hands to form clumps, then crumble these on to a large baking tray and spread out evenly. Bake for about 25 minutes, giving the whole thing a good stir halfway through, until golden brown and crisp. Leave to cool completely then transfer to an airtight container. (You’ll have more than you need for this recipe, so keep the rest for other puds.)
Heat the oven to 190oC/Gas 5 and use some of the butter to grease a roasting dish. Halve the plums and remove the stones. Put them, cut side up, in the dish, dot with the remaining butter and sprinkle with the sugar or honey. Scatter the star anise, if using, on top. Bake for 20–30 minutes, until the plums are bubbling and juicy. Leave to cool for a few minutes, or completely: the plums can be served warm or cold, or even chilled. (As an alternative to roasting, you can simply stew the plums with a little water and the sugar for about 10 minutes until juicy and tender.)
Transfer the plums to a large serving platter or individual bowls and add a generous sprinkling of crumble. Top with scoops of ice cream and spoon over any juices from the dish.
‘FUMBLE’ SWAPS Some tart fruit, roughly mixed with cream, whipped or otherwise, and/or a little yoghurt, then topped with ‘independent crumble’ is a classic combination in our house, with almost infinite variations. I call it a ‘fumble’, because it’s really a cross between a fool and a crumble. Its main incarnations are with fresh strawberries and raspberries or cooked gooseberries (here) in the summer, with a compote of Bramley apples or plums in the autumn, and with rhubarb in winter and spring.