“Prepped” is local cookery writer, Vanessa Kimbell’s blog about the trials and tribulations of writing her first cookery book. A stickler for detail, Vanessa has asked for help to trial all the recipes which will feature in her cookery book “Prepped” which launches in May this year. Always keen on a culinary challenge, Vanessa asked me to put her “Plum & Cardamom Crumble” through it’s paces!
(Serves 6-8)
For the base:
- 800g plums, stoned & halved
- 60g sugar
- 25g butter
For the topping:
- 230g rolled oats
- 125g sweetened desiccated coconut
- 100g flaked almonds
- 50g sugar
- 1 level tsp ground cardamom (can grind your own cardamom pods)
- 150ml rapeseed oil
- Firstly, preheat the oven to 180°/gas mark 4.
- Put the plums in an ovenproof dish about 25cm wide & 5cm deep. Sprinkle the sugar and butter over evenly.
- Mix all the dry ingredients together, then drizzle the rapeseed oil over the top & mix really well.
- Sprinkle the topping over the plums & bake in the oven for 35 minutes or, until the topping is a light golden brown and the fruit is bubbling away underneath. Be careful to check the topping as it can easily burn!
- Wait a few minutes for the crumble to cool before serving with warm vanilla custard or thick cream.
The topping also makes a great granola! You can make double the quantity and then bake one half of the topping on a baking sheet, turning it once or twice.
The topping is much lighter than traditional crumble toppings made using flour and the cardamom adds an interesting exotic twist! I can definitely recommend it.
Key an eye out for Vanessa’s book as it’s cram packed full of crowd pleasing recipes.
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Lorne – this is such a beautiful post .. Thank you so much for testing this recipe – it’s really important to get it right!
Look forward to the Launch in June!!1
Vanessa