Plum and Amaretti Crumble

I was going to tell you about this magnificent crumble-topped crimson creation I made on Valentine's Day, that I smothered in fresh cream and ate with the love of my life. Then I was going to tell you all about the huge bowl of buttery, cheesy, garlicky, prawny pasta followed by a humongous amount of pistachio gelato I ate on Saturday night. Then I was going to tell you about some rainbow chard, ricotta and potato pies I made, and ate, complete with home made puff pastry AND short crust pastry. Then I thought I really should tell you about the chocolate marshmallow brown sugar fudge I just made and then cleaned up after... using my tongue. But then I thought, I probably should just get on the treadmill.



Plum and Amaretti Crumble

from Nigella Lawson's Nigellissima

Serves 4

For the Filling:
50g amaretti biscuits (crunchy, not soft)
15g unsalted butter
500g red plums, quartered if large, halved if small, stones removed
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar

1/2 lemon, zest and juice

For the Crumble Topping:
75g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
50g cold unsalted butter, cut into small dice
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla sugar

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C and slip in a baking sheet at the same time. 

Put the amaretti into a freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin or similar, until reduced to coarse crumbs, then put them into a bowl.

Make the Filling:

Melt the 1 tablespoon of butter in a large pan (that has a lid), add the prepared plums, sprinkle in the one tablespoons of vanilla sugar, add the lemon zest and juice and shake the pan over the heat, cooking for two minutes without a lid and two further minutes with the lid on.

Pour the plums an ovenproof pie dish and set to one side. Sprinkle in two tablespoons of your amaretti crumble.

Make the Crumble Topping: 

Put the flour and baking powder into the bowl of an electric mixer, shake to mix, then add the small cold butter cubes and beat, not too fast, with the flat paddle until you have a mixture rather like large-flaked oatmeal. 

Add the vanilla sugar and mix with a fork, then tip in the rest of the amaretti crumbs and use a fork to mix again. Pour the mixture over the fruit.

Place on the baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. let this stand for 10-15 minutes before eating, with ice cream, whipped cream or mascarpone.