Apple and rhubarb crumble using locally grown ingredients

We are so blessed in our region with glorious apples, pears, stone fruits and berries.  So depending on the season this is a dessert that you can make all year round!

Apple and rhubarb crumble using locally grown ingredients

Serves 4

Cooking time: 35 minutes

For the fruit filling

• 4 large apples, cores removed, then peeled and sliced

• 4 stalks of rhubarb (discard the leaf), washed and chopped into pieces

• Zest of 1 orange (optional)

• Juice of orange

• 1/2 cup water

• 3 cardamom seeds (optional)

• 2 tablespoons of caster sugar

Crumble Mix

• 1 cup self-raising flour

• 110 grams of butter - grated

• 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

• 1/2 cup oats

• 1/4 cup flaked almonds (optional)

• 1 tsp cinnamon

Method

We like to use stewed fresh fruit as it gives it a nicer texture.  If you have frozen fruit like raspberries, blackberries or blueberries in the freezer, sprinkle a few of those into the mix too. You can pretty much combine any fruit together. 

For this crumble we used apples, orange zest and rhubarb.

1. Preheat oven at 180*C degrees/160*C degrees fan-forced.

2. In a medium pot, add chopped fruit, orange juice and zest. Add the water, cardamom seeds and caster sugar and cook the apples and rhubarb on a medium heat for 10 minutes.  (Turn the heat down if it begins to boil too quickly) Put a lid on the pot and switch off the heat.

3. Grease an oven-proof dish lightly around the edges with oil spray. Add the stewed fruit. If there is a lot of syrup strain off half of it and set it aside. Add any frozen fruit at this stage and set to one side. Remember to take out the cardamom seeds.

4. To make the crumble mixture, place flour into a medium sized bowl, but don’t worry about sifting it. Weigh the butter and then with a cheese grater, grate the butter into the flour.  Rub the butter and flour together until it resembles bread crumbs.

5. Using a bread and butter knife mix through the sugar, cinnamon, oats and flaked almonds. This helps keep this mixture light and stops the crumble clumping together.

6. Spread the crumble mix over the top of the fruit and pinch together the crumble in little mountains so they crisp up.

7. Place the crumble into the oven for 25 mins or until bubbling around the edges and golden on top. Serve with ice cream, custard, or just on its own!

Healthy Loddon Campaspe is delighted to have worked with Expert Eats to develop some healthy, cost effective meals using locally grown ingredients.

Thanks to Jessica and Jen from Expert Eats for creating these delicious recipes for us to share!