apple and blackberry crumble

i am a big, big crumble lover. my dad makes a delicious crumble so i grew up eating it with generous helpings of custard. my preferred custard is the cheaper alternative which is vivid yellow in colour and comes in tins. the ‘posh’ stuff in the plastic cartons is nice but just doesn’t offer the same 90s comfort as it’s tinned companion. the recipe below is very versatile, you can pretty much use any fruit or berries you like, or whatever is in season at the time.

ingredients;
5 bramley apples (braeburn and granny smith work well too)
150g blackberries
175g plain flour
110g golden caster sugar (plus extra for the fruit)
125g cold unsalted butter
1 tbsp rolled oats
1 tbsp demerara sugar

method;
1. pre-heat the oven to 170 and find a baking dish to use (anything deep enough to hold the fruit will do).
2. peel, core and cut the apples into chunky slices (you want them big enough so that they’ll hold their shape in the oven, but small enough to soften). add them to the baking dish along with the blackberries and 2 tbsp of golden caster sugar. mix together and flatten down to stop the crumble mix falling through.
3. in a bowl add the flour, golden caster sugar and a pinch of salt. give it a good mix and then add small pieces of butter bit by bit. rub the mix together with your fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs.
4. pour the mix over the fruit and press down firmly. then use the back of a fork or spoon to ensure the mix is held together.
5. sprinkle over the oats and demerara sugar, place the dish on a baking trap in the centre of the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is crisp and golden and the fruit is soft.
6. leave to cool for five minutes and serve with custard.