Apple and Rhubarb Crumble

This is a delightful recipe for individual apple and rhubarb crumbles flavoured with ginger, a shredded coconut and walnut topping, served with vanilla custard. It featured on Celebrity Masterchef Series 12 Episode 1 as Angelica Bell’s opening dish and really pleased the judges. You could serve with cream or vanilla ice-cream. Whilst there have been many different crumbles over the years featured on cooking programmes what sets this one apart from the others is the slightly unusual and interesting topping.  Apple and rhubarb anyway is an excellent combination and just sets what could be an ordinary apple crumble apart from the rest. Crumbles are always of interest and we have a version using baked apple with flapjack.

Preparation time: 20 minutes; Cooking time: 25-30 minutes. Total time: 50 minutes.

This recipe is tailored for two servings.

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced
• 1/2 cup rhubarb, diced
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the topping:

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons shredded coconut
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and diced

For the custard:

• 1 cup milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two individual ramekins.

2. In a bowl, mix together the diced apple, diced rhubarb, brown sugar, ground ginger, and lemon juice until well combined. Divide the mixture evenly between the two ramekins.

3. In another bowl, combine the flour, oats, shredded coconut, chopped walnuts, and brown sugar for the topping. Add the cold diced butter and rub it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit mixture in the ramekins.

4. Place the ramekins on a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

5. While the crumbles are baking, prepare the custard. In a saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until just simmering. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until pale and creamy. Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and set aside.

6. Once the crumbles are done baking, remove them from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes. Serve warm with a generous drizzle of vanilla custard on top.