Apple & Almond Crumble

This is an autumnal, comforting pudding which lacks the sense of guilt you may be left with after scoffing a sugar loaded, dairy-heavy dessert, as it is mainly constituted by fruit. Or at least this is what I like to tell myself. I served this with a dollop of Yeo Valley's Apple Flapjack yoghurt, to remain on the virtuous side; however double cream or vanilla ice-cream would not be out of place here, either.

INGREDIENTS

• 7 medium cooking apples (I used the ones picked in my boyfriend's mum's garden, I am not sure what the variety was, I must admit)
• 2 tablespoons of muscovado sugar
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

For the crumble:

• 120 gr plain flour
• 4 tablespoons of ground almonds
• 80 gr butter
• 4 tablespoons of muscovado sugar
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• A handful of flaked almonds

Peel and core your apples, then cut them in large chunks. Stew them in a pan at a gentle heat together with the sugar and cinnamon, adding a little water if necessary, until soft. 

Transfer the stewed apples in a deep, pyrex baking tray. 

Pre-heat the oven at 180°C. For your topping: sieve the flour into a mixing bowl, then add the ground almonds, sugar, cinnamon and butter (which should be in the form of small cubes and at room temperature). Using your fingers, pinch the mixture in order to form small crumbs, then pour them all over the apples and top with flaked almonds.

Bake for about 40 minutes, until your crumble topping is golden and crunchy, and the apples are bubbling underneath. Leave it to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.