Cakes & Bakes: Spiced plum crumble

Home-made spiced plum crumble | H is for Home

Our garden has an abundance of fruit at the moment; especially apples, damsons and plums. The plums are beginning to go over and rot on the tree, but that’s OK – butterflies, wasps and other insects have been feasting.

Sliced & stoned plums in a saucepan with Demerara sugar and mixed spice

Every time I walk past the tree, on my way to the compost heap or washing line, I grab a couple of the low-hanging fruits. A quick snack on the move! Yesterday, I took a colander out into the garden and picked as many of the just-ripe plums as I could reach. I had in mind to make a spiced plum crumble.

Cooked, spiced plums in a clear Pyrex casserole dish

The fruit was given just a hint of flavour with some mixed spice. You could try, instead, a smidgen of cinnamon, clove or ground ginger, or leave the spice out entirely – whatever is your taste preference.

Spiced plum crumble before going into the oven

I like a chunky crumble topping that doesn’t go all wet & claggy from the fruit syrup. Simply squeeze handfuls of the mixture in the palm of your hand and gently prise them apart until you get the size of morsel you prefer. Adding oats and hazelnuts to the flour/butter mix helps create the crunchiness and gives a nutty taste. Chopped almonds, Brazil nuts or pecans will work equally well.

Cooked spiced plum crumble with serving spoon

It’s such a hearty, comforting, autumnal dessert; served piping hot with a pouring of creamy custard or dollop of cool, thick cream… mmmmmmm!

Bowl of spiced plum crumble with thick double cream

Save my spiced plum recipe to Pinterest to try later!

Home-made spiced plum crumble recipe | H is for Home

Home-made spiced plum crumble | H is for Home

Spiced plum crumble

Course Dessert
Cuisine British

Ingredients
  

For the plums

  • 1 kg/2.2lbs plums; washed halved & de-stoned
  • 100 g/3½oz Demerara sugar
  • ½ tsp mixed spice

For the crumble topping

  • 125 g/4½oz plain flour
  • 125 g/4½oz rolled oats
  • 50 g/1¾oz hazelnuts; roasted & roughly chopped
  • 50 g/1¾oz Demerara sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 100 g/3½oz cold butter cubed

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas mark 6

For the plums

  • Put the plums, sugar and mixed spice into a saucepan over a low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. This should take no more than 10 minutes
  • Spoon the mixture into a large, oven-proof casserole dish. Set aside while you make the crumble mixture

For the crumble topping

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, hazelnuts, sugar and salt
  • Rub in the cold butter until the mixture is lumpy
  • Turn out the mixture on to the spiced plums and spread evenly over the top. It's not important to cover the entire surface
  • Bake for 45 minutes to an hour - until the topping begins to turn a golden brown colour
Spiced plum crumble ingredients
Serve with thick pouring cream or hot custard
Keyword crumble, fruit crumble, plums