Create delicious crumbles

The original … and then some
The traditional English crumble starts life as a sweet shortcrust pastry without the liquid. For a basic crumble mix to serve 6, cut 140g butter into 200g plain flour and stir through 75g sugar. Then simply scatter onto prepared fruit in a baking dish. As the fruit cooks, the butter melts and mixes with the flour and sugar to make the crumbly texture that makes it so moreish. Apple crumble is probably the best known and certainly one of the best-loved crumbles, but given our abundance of native autumn fruit (and even some of the exotic imports) there is no limit to the variations and combinations you can make. On the same note, why rely just on flour, butter and sugar for your crown of crumble? Try these variations:

• Whip up a tropical crumble by peeling and slicing several large mangoes and a fresh pineapple (or used canned chunks) and toss into a baking dish. Add the juice from the fresh fruit or several tablespoons if using canned. Make a basic crumble mixture with flour and butter and use vanilla sugar in place of ordinary sugar. Add about 3 heaped tbsp shredded coconut and toss through. Sprinkle over the mango and pineapple and bake at 190C/375F/gas mark 5 until golden.
• Add some roughly chopped hazelnuts to a basic crumble mixture and use rhubarb and raspberries for the fruit.
• Walnut crumble is the perfect topping for peeled, sliced pears, while pecan nuts add something special to a tart plum crumble. Cut the plums in half, remove the stones and place in the dish, cut side up, before sprinkling over the nutty topping.
• For a peach or nectarine crumble, crush some Amaretti biscuits and add a small handful of slivered almonds to the basic mix.
• Try making any of the above nutty versions in individual ramekins or small pudding bowls, and serve each person their own mini crumble.