Rhubarb and Apple Nut Crumble
Apologies for the lack of posts recently. I had a recent impromptu trip to Tokyo which although absolutely fabulous, has made me lose track of time and already it has been 3 weeks since my last post. Yikes! I won’t even mention the number of blog posts that are in my Google Reader at the moment waiting to be read but I’ll look forward to catching up over the next few days. We are back in London for the next few weeks and I’m enjoying a few simple home comforts like catching up on British and European news. I value the BBC even more nowadays!
Thinking of all things British, I thought it would be a good idea to make a crumble. Simple enough but I was trying to avoid a heavy buttery topping. There is something about putting 150g of butter into a recipe that just doesn’t sit well with me at all. Dare I say it but at times, the toppings can be quite stodgy. The challenge then was to make a crumble with a reduced amount of butter, without losing out on flavour. A mixture of oats and nuts, similar to a Granola appealed to me right away. Now that Rhubarb is widely available and we are in the midst of Bramley Apple Week, the filling for the crumble was a no-brainer! I always have a stash of flaked almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts in the store cupboard so I would make good use of my reserves.
Oven Baked Rhubarb and Apple Nut Crumble
A typically British Winter Pudding with a reduced butter content and a crunchy nut topping.
Ingredients
- 485g of rhubarb stalks, cleaned and cut into rough chunks
- 2.5 Bramley apples, cored, peeled and cut into rough chunks
- 1.5 tbsp of clear honey
- 1 tsp of freshly grated ginger
- 1.5 tsp of ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp of unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup of porridge oats
- 1/2 cup flaked almonds
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 6 tbsp of all-purpose flour
- 1.5 tsp of ground cinnamon
- 4 tbsp of unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C
- Melt the butter into a pan and sauté the rhubarb and apple to remove any extra water.
- Add the cinnamon, honey and grated ginger, and continue to cook until all the liquid has evaporated.
- Pour the fruit filling into an ovenproof dish.
- In a large bowl, mix together the hazelnuts, walnuts, oats, flaked almonds, flour, sugar and cinnamon.
- When all these ingredients are combined, add the melted butter and ensure it combines sufficiently with the dry ingredients.
- Spread the crumble evenly over the fruit filling.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until an even golden brown colour is achieved on the crumble.
Notes
The purists among you may wish to shell the hazelnuts before using them in the crumble. I was quite happy to keep the shell on and in no way did it detract from the taste or texture of the dish.
In terms of nuts, I used what was in my store cupboard at the time but you could always use Brazil nuts, pistachios, pecans etc if you wanted a different variety.
Plated : Rhubarb and Apple Nut Crumble
A classic accompaniment to this dessert would of course be custard but if you wanted something lighter, you can try the crème anglaise from my Iles Flottantes post.
My other half is not a huge fan of desserts but he went back for second and third helpings so I reckon I must be doing something right!
I’m entering this into Credit Crunch Munch owned by Helen at Fuss Free Flavours and Camilla over at Fab Food for All. This month’s host is the very kind and effervescent Camilla. I’m hoping I fall within the guidelines Camilla since the only money I have spent is buying the fruit in season – the rest is all in my cupboard/fridge 
I’m also entering this post for my first time on Tea Time Treats owned jointly by Karen over on Lavender and Lovage and Kate over on What Kate Baked. Kate is hosting this month and the theme is Perfect Puddings.
Have you any tips on cutting butter out of puddings/desserts without ruining the taste? I’d love to hear more in the comments below.
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{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
This looks absolutely delicious! I love the idea of the nutty crumble topping, and the ginger in the filling – I’m already planning to use your recipe this weekend.
Thanks Sarah – I’m really touched. It is such an easy dish to make. Not a lot of effort involved at all
Do let me know how you get on!
A lovely comforting dish Jacqueline and like you I have bags of nuts leftover from Christmas and have been putting them in crumble topping! I’ve never thought to put rhubarb with apple in a crumble but I have recently put ginger and chocolate in the topping so I know that ginger gives a lovely warmth to the flavour! Thank you for entering Credit Crunch Munch with such a healthy and nutritious pud;-)
Thanks for hosting Camilla
Nice to see you back – I have to admit to being very envious of your trip to Tokyo! Love your nutty topping here and the filling sounds delicious – I always add ginger to rhubarb too!
Thanks Katharine! Tokyo was just an amazing city. What a fantastic culture, rich in traditions – I’ll definitely be back to Japan.
)
I do like ginger with rhubarb (in small doses
That looks like one delicious crumble. I am sure Tokyo was lots of fun.
Thanks Mich. It worked a treat!
Tokyo, Hong Kong, London…what a life Jacqueline! I like your crumble full of healthy nuts and apples rather than butter. Nuts allergy are spreading and I find very difficult to use my beloved nuts (no in packed lunches, no in cakes for bake and sale, no for party food…..). I love the idea of sprinkling a lot of them on top of MY dessert!
I suppose it does sound a bit crazy..huh? Such a shame you have to limit your nut intake. I tend to use them in so many recipes and just as a snack!
Bramley Apples and rhubarb go together surprisingly well and I always love spice in my fruit. A delicious topping without all those dreaded calories. Not surprised your hubby went back for a third helping – it would be very difficult to resist.
Ha! I have to give myself a wee pat on the back as he is incredibly fussy when it comes to dessert. Thanks for your kind comments Maggie
I love adding nuts to a crumble. Apple and rhubarb is a great combination and rhubarb and nuts are lovely together. Great crumble!
Thanks Caroline – the nuts really do make the topping
Just gorgeous! I’m glad you had a good trip to Tokyo, and I am glad you are back, sharing such a delicious recipe. Thank you for another delicious post. And thank you for your sweet words on my blog! I hope you have a wonderful end to your week.
Hi Monet – it’s a pleasure. I’m sure you will make a wonderful mother with a mini Monet on the way, what could be better
BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL and such a GREAT Tea Time Treats entry, thanks so much! LOVE nutty crumble toppings, and yours is beautifully golden too! Karen
Forgot to say, WELCOME to Tea Time Treats! XXXX
Thanks – I don’t bake quite so often Karen so it’s nice to take part in a sweet challenge now and again
I love crumble, especially rhubarb. I have a bit of a love affair with rhubarb. In fact tonight I asked my hubby to pick up a rhubarb tart, but he came back with a winter fruit tart. It just wasn’t the same. I would have loved to tuck into your crumble with my custard, instead of it.
Thanks Jac – Rhubarb crumble is such a classic – isn’t it? I agree, Winter fruit tart, however tasty, just wouldn’t cut it
I’m back for another look and to take notes this time
Hee-Hee – Let me know how you get on if you try it Jac x
Hi, great to see you are back! I love any crumble that features a topping with texture and lots of nuts. They definitely add something extra and I love how you can use whatever you happen to have in your cupboard. Such a lovely pudding!
Nice to be back Laura. Thanks for the lovely comments
I am all for healthier recipes too and I agree about the insanely huge amounts of butter than are some times called for.
I often use a strusel topping using a “good” oil for crumbles – and make a huge batch in advance and freeze so I have almost instant crumble.
Many thanks for sending this to Credit Crunch Munch, and sorry for taking forever to get around to commenting!
Thanks Helen. Good idea to make a batch in advance. Which oil do you use for the crumble?
What a delicious recipe! I adore a crumble and am a big fan of rhubarb based pudding. Thank you for entering this into TTT!
Hey Kate, welcome to my blog and thanks for hosting the event:-)
It looks really gorgeous! I love both rhubarb and nuts, so this is a perfect combination!
Hi Alvaro,
Welcome to my blog! Thanks for your comment
That looks quite yummy. I really have to put it on my rhubarb to-do list. Thanks!
Thanks Chris!
The time is here now to have a go at it. Everything went fine so far. Now it’s in the oven and I have time to eat the main course.
Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and tweet me the results Chris. So glad you enjoyed it x
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