Serves 6

Ingredients

For the crumble:

• 100g plain flour
• 100g unrefined cane sugar
• 100g flaked almonds
• 100g cold salted butter, cubed

For the fruit:

• 1kg apples
• 3 eggs
• 150ml milk
• 150ml single cream
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Put the flour, sugar, flaked almonds and butter into a bowl. Rub the butter into the other ingredients rapidly with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Chill.

Peel the apples. Quarter them, remove the pips then cut each quarter in three.

Beat the eggs in a bowl with the milk, cream and vanilla sugar. Arrange the pieces of apple in a gratin dish, pour in the egg mixture and sprinkle with the crumble. Bake in the oven for approximately 40 minutes, until the crumble is golden.

Ideal serving temperature: warm. No accompaniment necessary.

From Crumbles: Over 30 Sweet And Savoury Recipes by Sabrina Fauda-Role (£8.99, Hardie Grant), out now

Serves 4–6

Ingredients

• 8–10 ripe plums (you could also use yellow plums, greengages or mirabelles – they will all be delicious)
• 4–5 tablespoons sugar
• chilled cream, to serve

for the crumble topping:

• 75g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
• 175g plain flour
• a pinch of salt
• 50g caster sugar

You’ll also need

a medium ovenproof dish, butttered

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4 and put a baking tray on the middle shelf to heat.

Halve the plums and remove the stones. Cut the halves into quarters if they are very large. Toss them with the sugar and tip them into the prepared baking dish.

To make the crumble topping, use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour with the salt until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Alternatively do this in a food processor. Stir in the sugar.

Lightly scatter the crumble topping over the plums. Place the baking dish on the hot baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 40–45 minutes, until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and serve warm with cream.

Tip: Plums have such a rich flavour when they are cooked that they need little or no other flavourings with them, except perhaps a pinch of cinnamon. For a special treat, toss the uncooked plums in a little damson or sloe gin.

From Cinnamon, Spice and Warm Apple Pie: Over 65 Comforting Baked Fruit Desserts (£9.99, Ryland Peters & Small), out now

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the crumble:

• 100g plain flour
• 80g unrefined cane sugar
• 50g ground hazelnuts
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 60g cold salted butter, cubed

For the fruit:

• 4 large ripe pears (1 kg)
• 1 knob of salted butter, cut into small cubes
• 50g dark chocolate, chopped

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Put the flour, sugar, ground hazelnuts, cocoa powder and butter into a bowl. Rub the butter into the other ingredients rapidly with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Chill.

Peel and core the pears then slice them finely or cut into small chunks.

Arrange the pears in a gratin dish, dot with small cubes of butter followed by the chocolate and sprinkle with the crumble. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, until the crumble is golden.

Ideal serving temperature: cold. No accompaniment necessary.

From Crumbles by Sabrina Fauda-Role, out now

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 80g plain flour (or use wholemeal or spelt)
• 40g light brown soft or demerara sugar
• pinch of salt
• 100g cold unsalted butter, diced
• 30g rolled oats
• 4 large ripe bananas, peeled and thickly sliced
• 120g dulce de leche
• 30g roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped (optional)
• double cream, ice cream or crème fraîche, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

Make the crumble topping. Combine the flour, sugar, pinch of salt and butter in a large bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then stir in the oats (alternatively, pulse the mixture in a food processor until just combined).

In an ovenproof dish, combine the banana, dulce de leche, and the nuts (if using). Scatter with the crumble topping, then sprinkle over a few drops of water.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crumble is golden brown and the mixture beneath is bubbling at the sides.

Remove from the oven and serve warm.

From Home Cookery Year: Four Seasons, Over 200 Recipes for All Possible Occasions by Claire Thomson (£30, Quadrille), out now

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the crumble:

• 120g plain flour
• 100g unrefined cane sugar
• 100g ground pistachios or finely chopped pistachios
• 100g cold salted butter, cubed

For the fruit

• 1.5 kg apricots

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Put the flour, sugar, pistachios and butter into a bowl. Rub the butter into the other ingredients rapidly with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Chill.

Rinse and dry the apricots. Cut them in half and remove the stones.

Arrange the apricot halves in a gratin dish and sprinkle with the crumble. Bake in the oven for approximately 40 minutes, until the crumble is golden.

Ideal serving temperature: warm. Serve with vanilla or pistachio ice cream.

From Crumbles by Sabrina Fauda-Role, out now