Pear and Apple Crumble with Oat and Almond Top

Sometimes, crumble just isn't crumble... this is a special gluten-free version, with a really beautiful rocky crumble texture, especially for all you gluten-free pudding-lovers.  The jumbo oats are an essential part, as they mostly keep their shape, and the ground almonds make the pear and apple mixture sing!   I'm currently watching Masterchef, and one of the contestants produced a crumble.  The chefs noted that crumble didn't look particularly neat.  They are quite right!  However, my testers didn't seem to mind.  

Pear and Apple Crumble with Oat and Almond Top

Pear and Apple Crumble with Oat and Almond Top 

Fruit:

1 ½ lb/900g apples and pears (unpeeled weight)

brown sugar to taste

small quantity of water

Crumble:

4oz/110g jumbo oats

4oz/110g ground almonds

3oz/225g Demerara sugar 

4oz/110g chilled butter

Oven:  preheat to 200deg C,

Peel and core the apples and pears, then cut into chunks.  Put into a saucepan with a little water and simmer gently until the apples start to get fluffy at the edges but don’t lose their shape.     Add the sugar and pour this into a baking/pie dish.      

Cut the butter into small pieces and mix it into the ground almonds.  Add the jumbo oats and the sugar.  The aim is for a rocky mixture with that lovely uneven texture, so don't keep mixing until it becomes pastry!   Tip the crumble over the fruit, making sure it reaches the edges of the dish.    Bake for about 25 minutes until the top is lightly browned and crisp, and the fruit is starting to bubble.   Serve hot, with proper custard.

This serves approx 6.