Tell me your secrets for a great crumble!

[NotABeliever]

I consider myself a good cook but I have never made a crumble which has pleased me! It's always dry, no matter what recipe I follow. Granted I was brought up abroad so it's not a dessert which I've ever seen made growing up. So please educate me! How do I make a really outstanding crumble?

Ratio of:
5oz plain flour
4oz butter
2oz sugar
2oz oats

rub butter into flour then add sugar and oats. I usually chill and then gently press into flattish lumps which I scatter on top of pre-cooked apples and bake for 30 minutes.

I aim for equally deep layers of crumble and fruit.

For the apple, I peel and slice a good few granny smith apples, and toss them in cinnamon, ginger, and a pinch of ground cloves, plus brown sugar, a pinch of salt, a big dash of lemon juice, and several spoonfuls of butter. I don't measure.

For the crumble, I use about 1/3 proportions of finely chopped walnuts and/ or almond flour, oats, and flour, with a pinch of salt. I rub in butter until I have chunky crumbs, and spread it over the fruit in a Pyrex dish.

I'd say the entire crumble is between 3 and 4 inches deep when it goes into the oven.

Or both ice cream and custard?

F because I love crumble

@Citrusandginger

Now that's an idea!

Well can’t for the life of me find raspberries in apple juice. Was so excited x

Instead of oats I add some Jordan's crunchy granola with a hint of honey.

After I put in the apples I pour over a pot of Birds custard and then put my crumble.mixture on top of that and then bake in the oven. Possibly the addition of the custard means it isn't a proper crumble and I am cheating with pre made custard but it is simple and always popular when I make it for family!

I make crumbles a lot, one of my favourites is rhubarb stewed with Port and sugar - I thoroughly recommend

for the topping I tend to do double the plain flour to the sugar and butter. Usually I’ll do 200g flour, 100g cold salted butter cubes. Rub them together until it resembles a crumble mix then add 100g Demerara sugar… don’t use a fine sugar.

and don’t use cheap custard… you want extra special Madagascan vanilla custard yum

Swap out some of the flour for oats and dessicated coconut. V rich and moreish

Ooooh that's an idea!

I always use bagged frozen mixed fruit, bung the crumble topping on and shove it in the oven. Quick, delicious and not dry at all!

@LincolnIsle I have to try this!

Great thread!

Rub the butter into the flour then stir in sugar and a couple of tablespoons of oats and a couple of tablespoons of desiccated coconut - perfect!

What @toastofthetown says, cook the crumble separately and add on top of the stewed fruit. I follow Tom Kerridges recipe. I also use gluten free flour and makes it extra crunchy.

I bloody well hate oats in a crumble

<spits>

I use oats, ground almonds and desiccated coconut with flour. I sometimes use coconut oil instead of butter too. I used a Cranks recipe for years and now just do it by feel using the same ingredients. Sometimes add seeds and walnuts too.

100g plain flour
50g Demerara sugar
60g butter
couple of tablespoons each of porridge oats and flaked almonds

Grate the cold butter into the flour and rub in, stir in the rest of the ingredients and use to top fruit of your choice.

Our fave is a couple of peeled and cored Granny Smiths cut into 4 then sliced along the length of each wedge, chuck in a bowl and stir through a jar of salted caramel sauce.

It could be that you aren't rubbing the butter and flour together thoroughly enough. Don't rush this stage, it's really important.

Haven’t read the thread but, just from the title, I tell you a secret, you send me a great crumble I’ve got that right?

I make mine with mixed gluten free flour and ground almonds, GF flour burns too easily on it's own, Demerara sugar, it's taken years to perfect but it's very popular even with the non coeliacs

4 bramley apples peeled and diced bitesized.
Add juice from 1 lemon
2tbsp dark brown muscovado sugar
2tbsp white granulated sugar
1tsp vanilla bean paste or the beans from a whole pod.
1/2tsp cinnamon.
Mix and leave to macerate in the crumble dish whilst you make the topping.

Now, I've made lots of traditional crumbles in my life however the very best was from an American lady and the method is not typical.

350g of plain flour
100g porrige oats
150g mixed granulated sugar half white half demerara.
1/2tsp cinnamon 1/4tsp nutmeg
Mix all of this together.
Partly melt/soften 6 -8 tablespoons of salted butter. It must absolutely not be all melted, leave half solid but very soft.
Mix this into the dry mix with a knife to make mixed sized balls.
You do not want this to be a paste or evenly sized pieces.
Pop this into a zip lock bag and freeze for 30mins minimum.
When ready add your crumble onto the apples and bake at 160°C for 35mins or when the fruit is bubbling.

This is so very good I keep a 5ltr bag in the freezer of this mix at all times during the autumn and winter.

Make the crumble by adding melted butter to flour and sugar, to form lumpy crumble, then place in fridge to chill before crumbling over the fruit and baking, the crumble goes nice and crunchy and tastes like shortbread

The addition of olive oil in the mixture really was a game changer for me.

I don't really measure things but roughly I do the following:
Rub in some butter to plain flour
Stir in a big handful of ground almonds and another big handful of oats
Add a handful of pale brown sugar (amount to taste depending on preference)
Tsp of cinnamon
Then a few glugs of olive oil to moisten the mixture, and press the mixture together in your hands to form big clumps
Then just break up the clumps gently over the top of your fruit - leave some of the clumps of mixture quite big, others more broken up.

The result is a really lovely crunchy, golden, biscuit-esque topping.