Your humble fruit crumble takes on a rustic Italian feel with this lovely, feel good, wintery dessert. I love this particular recipe because it contains marsala, almond meal and crushed amaretti biscuits, giving it quite a distinct almond flavour with a marvelous hint of booziness.
I can imagine digging into this after eating my way through some sort of roast dinner, or just on its own when the girls are in bed and I am feeling like something sweet for dinner rather than savoury. Either way, it is one of those quintessential desserts for the cooler months – something that will warm your tummy and your soul.
3 golden delicious apples
3 ripe and firm beurre bosc pears
50 grams/1.8 ounces of raisins or sultanas
25 grams/.88 ounces of unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon plain (all purpose) flour
1/4 cup sweet marsala
Icing sugar and double cream to serve
Crumble
2/3 cup plain flour (all purpose flour)
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup ground almonds
100 grams/3.5 ounces unsalted butter, chopped
50 grams/1.8 ounces amaretti biscuits, crushed
Preheat oven to 180c/355f.
Place flour, sugar, ground almonds and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Using your fingertips rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add amaretti biscuits and rub in till just combined.
Peel, core and cut apples and pears into small pieces (around 1/2 inch), then toss together in a bowl with raisins, butter, flour and marsala. Divide the fruit mixture among 4 x 325 ml ovenproof dishes, then top with crumble mixture.
Place dishes on an oven tray and cover with foil, bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for a further 20 minutes or until the crumble is golden brown and the fruit is tender.
Serve dusted with icing sugar and a dollop of double cream.
Notes: The 4 portions of apple & pear crumble are very big so I recommend you use six smaller dishes.
Source: Andy Bunn, Sopra at Fratelli Fresh
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