Challenge #24: Slow Cooker Fruit Crumble

[miss_s_b]

(note to el_staplador: THIS is cutting it fine ;) )

Equipment needed:

• Slow cooker/crock pot
• a couple of mixing bowls.
• Chopping board and sharp knife, unless you buy your fruit precut.
• weighing scales
• 1 tbsp & 1 tsp measuring spoons

Ingredients (filling):

• 750g fruit (I like to do three quarters rhubarb and one quarter dried apricots, but cherries are good, and so are apples, and so are plums);
• Sugar to taste;
• spices to taste - I like cloves with rhubarb, cinnamon with apples or cherries;
• 1 tbsp cornflour;

Ingredients (topping):

• 150g plain flour;
• 150g muscovado sugar;
• 150g butter;
• spices to taste;
• A pinch of salt;
• 100g chopped nuts (optional: I like hazelnuts, but you'll see other people advocate walnuts or whatever. Use what you like).

Method:

• Put all the ingredients for the topping except the nuts (if you are even using nuts) in one of your mixing bowls and rub together with your fingertips till you get coarse breadcrumb texture.
• Stir in your nuts.
• In another mixing bowl stir together the sugar, spices and cornflour for the filling, and then stir in the fruit.
• put the fruity mix into the slow cooker.
• sprinkle the topping mix into the slow cooker too.
• Put the lid on, make sure the lid is well seated, and turn the slow cooker on to low.
• Cook for about 3 hours with the lid on.
• Cook for a further hour and a half with the lid off, so your topping is not soggy.

Serve with cream, ice cream, or a proper custard.