Vanilla, Pear & Apple Crumble
with Chai Custard
Ingredients
500g Cooking Apple (500g before peeled and cored)
2 Eating apples (royal gala)
2 Pears
2 tsp Lemon juice
2 tbs Vanilla bean paste
30g Date sugar
Crumble topping
20g Ground Almonds
30g Sunflower seeds, ground
20g Pumpkin seeds, ground
50g Oats, ground
30g Coconut oil, melted
30g Date sugar
1tsp Vanilla bean paste
Custard
500ml Plant-based milk (used GF oat barista )
Pinch of turmeric (for colour)
1tsp Vanilla bean paste
2 tbs Chicory root syrup
1 Cinnamon stick
5 Cardamon pods
5 Peppercorns
12 Cloves
Zest of 1/4 of an orange
2 tbs Corn flour
Method
Preheat the oven to 170°c fan/338°F/ Gas Mark 3
In a saucepan add the plant-based milk, turmeric, vanilla bean paste, cinnamon stick (break in two) cardamon pods (lightly crushed), peppercorns, cloves and orange zest, bring up to the boil. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Grind the sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and oats together in a blender. Tip into a bowl and add ground almonds,date sugar, vanilla bean paste and melted coconut oil, mix again. Set aside.
Wash, peel and core apples and pears. Keep the cooking apples separate from the eating apples. If the pears are very ripe set aside with the eating apples if not add together with the cooking apples. Chop all the apple and pears into bite sizes pieces and sprinkle with lemon juice, toss and coat.
In a pan add the cooking apples (and pears if very firm), date sugar, 2 tsp vanilla bean paste and 3 tbs of water. Heat, stirring frequently, and cook for approx 5 minutes
until the apples/pears start to soften, if you need a little more liquid, add a further tablespoon or 2 of water while cooking but the mixture should remain quite dry. After 5 minutes of cooking, add the eating apples (and pears if very ripe) stir. Cook for a further 2/3 minutes. Transfer the fruit into an oven proof dish and place onto a baking tray.
Add the crumble on top of the apple and pears and bake in the oven, lower middle shelf, initially for 30 minutes then gently cover the top with tin foil to prevent further browning and bake for a further 10/15 mins.
Whilst the crumble is baking, finish the custard.
Strain the infused milk from the spices, into a saucepan, discard the spices. In a small bowl add a few tablespoons of the milk together with the corn flour.
Mix well and then pour the cornflour mixture back in to the pan with the rest of the milk. Add the chicory root syrup and vanilla bean paste and slowly heat. Bring up to the boil, stirring constantly as the custard thickens. Once the custard is bubbling, remove from the heat. Serve with the apple and pear crumble.
