Spiced Cranberry and Apple Oaty Crumble

Spiced Cranberry and Apple Oaty Crumble

It doesn't matter what the weather is like a oaty crumble is always a welcome at JibberJabber Towers. Throughout the year we have changes in the fruit and what we serve with it – cream, yoghurt or custard but the oaty topping remains.

With a nod to the festive season and my role as this month's host of Feel Good Food I felt it time for some cranberries to make an appearance in our Sunday crumble. I decided to combine them with some Bramley apples and the result was it was nice. That's it – nice. Not something that is going to inspire you to rush out and buy the ingredients for this recipe. It didn't have the juiciness of plums or the luxury of freshly picked blackberries. I was then flicking through my copy of Leon Friends & Family: Book 4 which I received as a from Louisa at Eat your veg. In it was a recipe for a cranberry and apple crumble with a bit of added zing. That recipe had a flour based topping which I never make because my husband isn't that keen on flour crumbles and oats are far better for you anyway. I've reduced the quantities to fit my crumble dish and of course added by own oaty crumble topping.

I am sending this over to Vanesther at Bangers & Mash for this month's cinnamon themed The Spice Trail challenge.

Obviously this is my own entry for Feel Good Food that I am hosting this month on behalf of Victoria at A Kick At The Pantry Door.

Jen at Blue Kitchen Bakes is also doing a fresh cranberry link up.

Equipment: Oven-proof dish (mine measures 17cm x 23cm)

Ingredients

2 Bramley apples (should weigh around 400g), peeled, cored and cut into slices.

100g Fresh cranberries

25g Demerara sugar

Zest and juice 1 orange

¼ tsp Ground cinnamon

¼ tsp Mixed spice

Grating of fresh nutmeg or ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg.

Topping

140g Porridge oats

28g Ground almonds

85g Demerara sugar

55g Unsalted butter, cut into small pieces.

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4.

2. Place the apples and cranberries into the dish. Sprinkle the sugar, orange zest and juice, and spices over the fruit.

3. In a separate bowl weigh out the oats and add the almonds and sugar.

4. Put the butter into the bowl and stir so all the ingredients are mixed in and the butter is covered with the mixture.

5. Spoon evenly over the apples and cranberries until it is all covered.

6. Cook for 20 minutes until the oats on top have browned.

Rhubarb and Granola Crumble

Rhubarb and Granola Crumble

After our traditional Sunday roast we also like a pudding to follow it. Living in Britain the seasons only usually make an impact on what kind of fruit goes in it. Recently though the weather has been such that only strawberries and ice cream will do. However, this Sunday normal service resumed and we had a need for something cooked. The last crop of rhubarb has been growing nicely in the garden and I decided it was time to sacrifice the last sticks for our crumble. I normally use porridge oats for my crumble topping but since Jordans Cereals had sent me a selection of their cereals I decided to try them instead. In short it works, everyone enjoyed it, yum yum.

I was sent three Jordans Cereals to try – Fruit & Nut Muesli, Country Crisp Honey & Nut, Super Fruity Granola. 

Between the three of us (son just ate everything that was put in his bowl) we had three different favourites. Husband liked them all but rated the Honey & Nut the best “crispy, tasty – definitely honey”. Daughter liked the freeze dried raspberries, redcurrants and pomegranates in the Super Fruity Granola but has taken to mixing the Honey & Nut and Granola together each morning. Supplies are now running low.

I on the other hand liked the Muesli the best. Being a bit of a cereal eating freak I always have it without milk (you may as well have papier mâché for breakfast). Quite a few mueslis I have tasted do have the element of 'dust' to them. Thanks to the high amount of dried fruit in this mix this isn't the case. Also it has a good variety of fruit and the pineapple and papaya are nice additions. On reading the side panel I noticed Jordans say they don't add salt to any of their cereals which I found very pleasing to find out in my rôle as head of the Salt Police at JibberJabber Towers.

Equipment: Oven proof dish – my dish measures 16cm x 23cm, foil or greaseproof paper

Ingredients

10oz (285g – about 5-6 sticks) Rhubarb, cut into small pieces

1 tbsp (15ml) Demerara sugar

7oz (190g) Jordans Granola

1oz (28g) Unsalted butter

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4.

2. Arrange the chopped rhubarb in a single layer in the dish.

3. Sprinkle the sugar over the top of the rhubarb.

4. Spread the granola over the rhubarb and sugar.

5. Cut the butter into small pieces and put onto of the granola.

6. Cook for 5 minutes and then put the foil or greaseproof paper on top. Cook for another 10 minutes.

Jordans Cereals sent me some of their cereals to review. No payment was made and the opinions are my own and the crack squad at JibberJabber Towers.