Blackberry, Pear & Apple Crumble
This blackberry, pear & apple crumble combines seasonal fruit with a crunchy, lightly spiced almond crumble topping. Best served with ice cream!
Prep Time45 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British, English
Servings: 8 People
Author: Ben Racey
10" Round Baking Dish
Large Saucepan
Large Mixing Bowl
Vegetable Peeler
Almond Crumble Topping
- 140 g Plain Flour
- 50 g Ground Almonds
- ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Ground Ginger
- A Pinch Of Sea Salt
- 150 g Unsalted Butter (Chilled & Diced)
- 80 g Porridge Oats
- 80 g Demerara Sugar
- 70 g Light Brown Sugar
- 30 g Flaked Almonds
Fruit Filling
- 1 Lemon (Juiced)
- 600 g Cooking Apples (See Notes)
- 600 g Conference Pears
- 500 g Blackberries
- 130 g Caster Sugar
- 40 g Unsalted Butter
- 1 tsp Vanilla Paste
- A Pinch Of Sea Salt
- 25 g Cornflour
Almond Crumble Topping
Place the plain flour, ground almonds, cinnamon, ginger & salt into a mixing bowl then whisk to combine. Add in the butter then rub in with your hands, until the mix resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Next, stir in the oats, both sugars & flaked almonds then squeeze the mix together to form small clumps.If the pieces are too big, break them up with your fingers. Place the crumble mix into the fridge & leave to chill whilst you make the filling.
Fruit Filling
Preheat an oven to 180°c/160°c fan (356°f/320°f).Grease the inside of a round 10" ovenproof dish with butter then set aside. Add the lemon juice into a large saucepan then set to one side.
Peel, quarter & core the apples & pears then cut into 1-2cm thick pieces. As you cut the fruit, place the pieces into the pan & mix with the lemon juice, to stop them going brown.
Next, add the sugar, butter, vanilla, & salt to the fruit & stir to coat.
Set the pan over a medium-low heat then cook until the fruit has started to soften, stirring regularly. This will take 10 minutes or so.
Next, add the blackberries into the apples & pears then cook for another minute or two, stirring frequently until the fruit has turned red.
Place the cornflour into a bowl & stir in enough cold water to make a thick paste. Add this to the fruit then cook out for another 1-2 minutes, until the juice has thickened.You'll need around 1 tbsp of cold water. Transfer the filling into the greased dish then sprinkle the chilled crumble topping over the top, so that the fruit is completely covered.
Bake the crumble in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until the topping is crisp & golden and the filling is bubbling.I'd recommend cooking the crumble on a baking tray, just in case any juices bubble over! Once baked, spoon the crumble into bowls then serve with scoops of vanilla ice cream or a generous amount of hot vanilla custard.
1. Cooking In An Aga – Cook the fruit for the filling on the simmering plate. Bake the crumble in the baking oven, on the bottom set of runners.
2. Apples - I like to use Braeburn apples when I make crumble, as they keep their shape once cooked. If you'd prefer softer, fluffier apples you could use Bramley or Granny Smith apples instead.
3. Blackberries - If you're using wild blackberries, make sure to wash them before cooking them. There's a guide on how to do this in the post above.
4. Making In Advance – Both the crumble filling & topping can be made in advance & stored separately in the fridge for up to 3 days (or in the freezer for several months). If you’re cooking the crumble straight from the fridge, add a couple of minutes to the cooking time.
5. Storage – Any leftover crumble should be stored in the fridge & eaten within a couple of days.
6. Reheating – Leftover crumble can be reheated in a microwave (for a minute or so) or in a 180°c/356°f oven. If the crumble starts to brown too much in the oven, cover it loosely with foil.
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