Geoff Maddern’s recipe for apple and mixed berry crumble

Geoff Maddern’s Apple and Mixed Berry Crumble

When I make this dessert for friends, I prepare the dish in advance and then finish the cooking – in the barbeque – when the main meal has been cleared.  The thirty-five minute long ‘final bake’ seems about right length of time for recovery in between courses.  This dessert is cooked using the Frying Pan and the Casserole dish from Weber’s Q Ware Set.  These accessories allow the entire dish to be cooked in the barbeque and they are super simple to clean!  It is important that you set you barbeque up for ‘indirect’ cooking.

For best results use berries that are fresh and in season.  You can substitute frozen berries if fresh are unavailable.  I always use Granny Smith Apples.  They stew better than most.

Now, as for sugar – you’ll need some.  It’s a dessert!  You can be your own judge as to how much you like.  The amount of sugar in the recipe simply reflects the way I like it – not sickly sweet but enough to satisfy most sweet tooths.  Think of it as a starting point!  I use Demerara Sugar for the crumble.  It contributes a touch of caramel!  You can sweeten the dish a touch further by serving with a really good French Vanilla ice-cream or perhaps you might prefer to temper the sweetness somewhat with a dollop of crème fraiche.

Ingredients              

• 8 Granny Smith Apples
• 2 Punnets Strawberries
• 2 Punnets Raspberries
• 1 Punnet Blueberries
• 1 Punnet Blackberries
• 1 Cup Plain Flour
• 250g Butter
• 2 tbs Caster Sugar
• 250g Demerara Sugar
• 2 tsp Cinnamon
• 2 tbs Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 tbs Water

Method:    

Preheat your barbeque to 180 degrees Celsius

For the Berries

Rinse then Chop Strawberries into 2cm chunks.

Add to your Frying Pan with 1 Punnet of Raspberries and 1 Punnet of Blueberries.

Drizzle with 2 tbs Balsamic Vinegar.

Sprinkle with 1 tbs Caster Sugar

Cook uncovered and indirectly in the barbeque (hood down) for 15 minutes until some of the berries begin to break down, creating a delicious coulis.

Remove and allow to cool.

For the Apples

Peel and Chop Apples into 2cm chunks and add them to your Casserole Dish with a tablespoon of Water.

Sprinkle with 1 tbs Caster Sugar

Cook uncovered and indirectly in the barbeque (hood down) for 20 minutes until the Apples soften and just begin to stew.  Do not overcook at this point otherwise your apples will break down into a sauce.  The chunks should retain some of their integrity.

Remove

Sprinkle with 1 tsp Cinnamon and gently stir to combine

Allow to cool.

Spoon and spread the cooled berries over the cooled apples in the Casserole Dish and distribute the other Punnet of Raspberries and the Punnet of Blackberries evenly, dotted over the top.

For the Crumble

Cut 250g Butter into 1cm cubes

In a mixing bowl combine 1 cup Plain Flour, 250g Demerara Sugar and 1 tsp Cinnamon

Add Butter and use your fingers to rub the Butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles wet sand.

Cover and store in the fridge until just before the dish goes back into the barbeque.

To finish off

Heat barbeque to 180 degrees Celsius

Pour and evenly distribute the crumble mixture over the Apples and Berries

Cover the Casserole Dish with its lid (vent open) and bake indirectly in the barbeque for 35 minutes.  Check around the 30 minute mark.  The crumble should be lightly toasted and the berries bubbling slightly.

Serve at the table with your favourite creamy accompaniment!

 

Pairs nicely with a cool dessert wine.  Try a De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis.

Bon Appetit!