I love crumbles, but mine are always so basic. Is there a way to make them more exciting?
Jenny, Cardiff
Crumbles are the easygoing friend of the dessert world; they welcome all (fruits, nuts, spices, chocolate), are simple to rustle up, and they’re as happy dressed up as they are down. The real magic, however, lies in “that squidgy layer between the fruit and crumble”, says ex-River Cafe pastry chef Anna Higham, who opens Quince bakery in London this autumn. Once that’s cracked – the winning formula is “lots of [fruit] juices and enough crumble to soak it up” – there are all manner of ways to up your crumble game.
“Crumbles are quite soft, so I’m a big fan of texture in the topping,” says Matt Adlard, author of Bake it Better. Nuts do the job nicely: hazelnuts roasted “to get a really toasty, nutty flavour”, say, or mix things up with a combination of two or three varieties. In her tahini crumble, which appeared in the Guardian a few weeks ago, Melek Erdal adds chopped almonds, walnuts and pistachios to the usual flour/butter/sugar mix. Things get even more interesting with the inclusion of tahini, and some sesame and nigella seeds. This, Erdal says, results in “the best things you’ll ever make” – and she’s not kidding.
