Blackberry, Apple & Ginger Oat Crumble
Serves 10-12
After returning from holiday after a mammoth summer family vacation, the apples trees in our garden were literally bursting! So despite having undertaken an epic 19 hour overnight journey home with my two little ones, the very first thing they want to do was to go into the garden to go apple picking at 7am. They have patiently waited all year long to do it, and so despite being almost crippled with exhaustion, out we went, filling up our baskets. And as sweet and lovely as it was to see their excitement at our bounty….it all of a sudden dawned on me that I actually had to DO something with all of these apples! I should have put a ration on how many they could pick on their first morning back, but it seems like I was too tired to think straight. So with 47 apples laid on my kitchen counter, I thought I’d better get to it straight away!
And what better way to use up all those apples than in a mouth watering oaty and nutty crumble? I took the summer months off crumble-eating and replaced it with ice creams and frozen cheesecakes. But as the temperatures have started to cool, I’m jumping straight back on the crumble bandwagon! Not only is the topping perfectly sweet, crunchy and delicious; but it is actually full of wholegrain, high-fibre jumbo oats; as well as micronutrient-rich nuts, making it a healthier version of the classic dish. And if you swap traditional sugar for a natural sugar substitute like Xylitol or Erythritol, then it has a much lower glycaemic index. That means it doesn’t cause blood sugar levels to spike like the traditional version; which makes it a particularly great choice for diabetics.
NOTE: I always like experiment using different wholegrain flours, and this time I used the gluten-free Sorghum flour. I can’t comment on it in any other recipes because this is all I have used it for – but so far, so good! But any flour would work in this recipe and I normally rotate between using Spelt, Wholewheat, Buckwheat or Oat flours.
INGREDIENTS
For the topping
· 160g Wholegrain Oats (I used Jumbo Porridge Oats)
· 160g Coconut Oil or Butter - softened
· 90g Erythritol (or sugar of your choice)
· 100g Wholegrain Flour (I used Sorghum)
· 60g Walnuts
· 30g Almonds
· 2 tsp Ground Ginger
· Optional - 10g Baobab Powder
For the middle
· Approximately 1kg of fruit (I used 600g Apples and 400g Blackberries)
· 1 tbsp Erythritol (adjust depending on how tart the fruit is you are using)
· 2 tbsp Flour
· 2 tbsp Fruit Juice
NOTE: I had a ton of apples to use up, but feel free to halve the recipe if you don’t want to make such a big crumble. Or better yet - split between two dishes to freeze one!
METHOD
· Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees.
· Core the apples and chop into small chunks – no need to peel. The apple skins contain a bunch of fibre.
· In a large crumble dish, mix together all of the ingredients for the middle - I used my hands to make sure everything is well combined.
· In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the topping. Again, I find it easier to use my hands!
· Sprinkle the crumbly topping evenly on top of the fruit and bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until the crumble is golden brown.
· Can be served both hot or cold with a dollop of creamy yoghurt.
NOTE: If freezing – par cook in the oven for 20 minutes, allow to cool, cover and put in the freezer. Defrost fully before popping it in the oven again for another 20-25 minutes when ready to serve.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Calories – 292
Protein – 4g
Fat – 19g
Carbohydrates – 35g
Fibre – 6g
Vitamin C – 13%
Calcium – 27%