Give me your best crumble tips and ideas

[Highlove]

I've just discovered I really love crumble. How I've got to not far from 40 before discovering it I don't know, but I always thought I didn't like it. What a weirdo. I blame my first boyfriend's mum who was (probably still is) a truly awful cook and used to make it at any given opportunity. Anyway, at the moment I can't get enough of it. So, hit me with your favourites things to do/twists.

I'm bloody starving now. DD and I will mostly be making crumble tomorrow.

Regarding the pears, my favourite pudding at school was pear and chocolate crumble, it was legendary, in fact it may have been the only reason I had school dinners!

I always use oats, the rest is whatever is in the cupboard.
Coconut, almonds, weetabix, walnuts, all fair game.

Make lots of crumble topping, store in freezer, bake from frozen, so you can have a crumble whenever you fancy.

Lots of lemon to orange zest and sometimes maple sirup with the apples.

Pear and chocolate crumble. Yes please!

So do we do custard or icecream?

Tinned (in natural juice) apricots. Use at least two tins because they squish down a bit. Heaven.

If you ever get tired of crumble, apricots (or almost any other fruit) are also lovely baked with a basic sponge topping.

Cream.

yes to pear and chocolate crumble...part cook the pears, plenty of vanilla really works and then make the crumble as normal, but with about half the flour, and then stir in the equivalent to the flour as cocoa.

you can make it as normal half flour half cocoa and rub in the butter, but your nails will be chocolate stained for days.

My other tip is to crush biscuits into the crumble mix...shortbread fingers or amaretti are best, they hold their crispness. But gingernuts and Nice can be alright too depending on the fruit.

I do not like oats in crumble..I think it makes it claggy. Also only ever use butter....a shake of some sort of spice helps it along too...match that to the fruit.

For apple crumble I use a topping of oats, butter, a bit of flour, and dark brown sugar.

Serve it warm with vanilla bean ice cream and caramel sauce. Heaven!

Apple (cooking) and blackberry/raspberry mixed is lovely.

Crumble topping - forget about the rubbing in method and all that palaver. Small knob of butter in saucepan over low heat (or micro), melt, add porridge oats, golden syrup, mix it all up, bit of demerara sugar but not much. Cover apples and back on 160 for about an hour. Low oven temperature otherwise it can "explode".

I hate oats in a crumble - chewy and unnecessary. I use a shortbread recipe for the topping.

I know a few people have suggested adding lemon zest to or on the filling. I sometimes mix some lemon zest into the crumble which is tasty.

(have sometimes thought about adding some mixed peel in, but haven't tried yet)

Without a doubt you should ALWAYS pre cook the crumble topping separately. Make the breadcrumb like mix, spread on a baking tray and cook until golden brown. Then break up with fork and crumble on top on your fruit mixture before warming through in oven. Or quite often I just spoon fruit and crumble topping into a bowl!

Raymond Blanc recipe says to do this and once you've done it once you'll never go back!

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/778642/apple-and-blackberry-crumble

Also a mixed berry crumble is delish! Buy frozen berries if out of season. Blackberries, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries... YUM

And that wise man Raymond Blanc does not use oats!

Better still, grate lemon zest in to the crumble topping before spooning on. Also, last week we had apple crumble where my wife poured damson puree on to the stewed apple before adding the crumble topping (quite thick layer of crumble..........it was truly fantastic!

Ooh some great new ideas. Thank you. The chocolate and pear was delicious!

Now - what about a dash of booze sloshed into the fruit? That would surely be a fun addition?

I replace sugar with coconut sugar for a better taste and aroma.