Apple and Plum Crisp Crumble

You do not need to use cooking apples to make a fruit crisp or crumble. Normal eating apples taste great in cooked desserts and it's always these apples that we have an excess of and therefore want to use for cooking. If you prefer to use cooking apples - do.

Peel and dice all the apples into smallish 1-2 inch pieces. Place enough water in your largest saucepan to just cover the base and pop in your prepared apples.

I love yellow plums because they're lovely and sweet but you could try this recipe with other plums. Fruit crisps / crumbles tend to be made from whatever fruits we currently have in the home. Yellow plums and apples are a firm favorite.

Chop your plums into small chunks and dispose of the stones. I don't remove the skin because this becomes lovely and soft after cooking anyway. Pop into your saucepan. Add a generous amount of brown sugar - about 2 handfuls.

Heat up the fruit and sugar mixture in the saucepan until everything is bubbling away and you can smell the apples. Turn off the heat, drain the fruit to remove any excess water and cooking liquid then place into a greased baking dish. My square stoneware dish is 9 x 9 inches in size.

Measure out your flour and place it into a large mixing bowl. Add in the softened butter and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour. It does take a little while but it's an easy job and you'll soon have a crumbly mixture. Add in the sugar and combine that with your fingertips as well until everything is evenly mixed.

Sprinkle the topping over the fruit base. Do not press or pack the topping down or you'll end up with a very hard topping once cooked.

Bake on Gas 4 (350°F / 177°C) for about 30-35 minutes until the topping is a nice golden brown. Ideally serve while warm with your choice of cream, custard or ice cream. It tastes delicious cold too.