Cherry & Almond Crumble

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Looking for a quick and simple pudding?  Then look no further.  As I was on a course with work today, and my hubby was cooking dinner, I wanted something that was quick and tasty for dessert.  I always have the basics in my cupboards but I also had a jar of pitted cherries that I’d bought in Lidl recently, so put a tasty recipe together in about 5 minutes ready for the oven. (Apologies for the photo quality, it was taken on my phone).

Crumble
110g (4oz) Self Raising flour
60g (2oz) Ground almonds
85g (3oz) Demerara sugar
85g (3oz) Butter, chilled

Filling
680g (24oz) jar (350g/12 1/4oz drained weight) pitted cherries in syrup (Lidl)
30g (1oz) Granulated sugar
5ml (1tsp) Almond extract
10ml (2tsp) cornflour
15ml (1tbs) cold water

1.   Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2.   Mix together the flour, almonds and sugar.
3.   Cut the butter into small cubes and rub into the flour/almond/sugar mixture until it resembles bread crumbs.
4.   Drain the cherries, putting the juice into a small saucepan.
5.   Place the drained cherries in the bottom of a 25cm/10″ round dish.
6.   Add the granulated sugar to the cherry syrup and bring to the boil.
7.   Continue to boil for 5 minutes until reduced by a third.
8.   Mix the cornflour with the cold water.
9.   Add the almond extract and the cornflour mixture to the boiling syrup.
10. Continue to boil, STIRRING CONSTANTLY, until thickened.
11. Pour thickened cherry syrup onto your cherries in the dish.
12. Sprinkle your crumble mix over the top evenly.
13. Cook for 30-35 minutes until golden.
14. Remove and serve hot with custard / ice cream / cream according to your preference.

Hope you enjoy this as much as we did this evening.

Rosie
x

Whitworths Christmas Cake Baking Kit

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Review of Whitworths Christmas Cake Baking Kit

I was given one of these by a friend at work today (yes, I know it’s 7th February), but they we’re being sold off in Morrisons from the normal price of £8.00 to the princely sum of 12p!!!! Yes, 12p, as the Best Before End date is February 2012 and she knows I love to cook. With only 180g of butter, 3 eggs and the rind & juice of one lemon to add, I quickly knocked it together after tea tonight. It’s now in the oven for 3 hours at 150C.

The rum soaked mixed fruit smelled amazing and appeared to be nice, moist & clean of stalks. Everything is very helpfully individually bagged & weighed and the preparation instructions were really clear.

Sadly I forgot to photograph as I went along & before I placed it into the oven.  It was really simple though; cream the butter and sugar.  Beat in the eggs.  Stir in the fruit, treacle, lemon rind & juice.  Fold in the flour & spices.  Pour into your prepared tin.

It’s due out about 10:30pm, so (fingers crossed) I will remember to get a picture of it to share with you then.

I will, of course let you know how it turns out.

It’ll be the weekend before I marzipan & ice it (obviously not now in a Christmas theme, but it’ll be suitably decorated, I’m sure).  Until then I will allow it to cool completely before wrapping it tightly in cling film to keep the air out and to keep it fresh.  It’ll then go in a cool place for a few days.

Footnote:  Mine was cooked in an 8″ tin and was baked after 2 hours 35 minutes.  You know when it’s cooked because it’ll start to shrink away from the sides slightly and a skewer or cocktail stick inserted into the centre of the came will come out clean.  It smells VERY good too.

Can’t wait to taste it….