Tangy Plum Crumble

Now it's got a a bit chillier, the time has come for those classic warming winter puddings- crumble is one of my favourite! And in my opinion, there is no better than my mum's (although I suppose I am a bit biased). She makes it with a nice chewy textured topping and sweet fruit in side. The filling varies from apple, plum and apple and blackberry-really whatever needs using and what is in season. So I nicked the recipe off of her and had a go at making it myself and it was really nice but not as good as mums (maybe she has magic fingertips?) This does create quite a big crumble but when there's two crumble-lovers in the house, it never lasts long! 

For the belly warmer you'll need:

170g (6oz) Plain Flour

170g (6oz) Brown Sugar plus extra 

170g (6oz) Margarine, cubed

6 Plums (or enough to half fill your dish when they are halved) 

Preheat the oven to 180oC/356oF/Gas Mark 4. 

In a bowl, mix together the flour and brown sugar. For the crumble topping, add the margarine, and using your fingertips, rub the flour  mixture into the margarine, creating a breadcrumbs consistency. 

Wash the plums and cut them in half. Remove the stones and place into your dish. Sprinkle on 2-3 heaped tablespoons of brown sugar on top and a tablespoon of water. 

Put the crumble topping on top of the fruit and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, until the crumble is golden brown.

Happy Baking! 

x

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I'm entering this into Fabulicious Food's Simple and in Season event this month as Plums are in season.

Strawberry Pavlova

Now if someone asked me what my favourite pudding was, it would be Strawberry Pavlova every time. It's perfectly summery and really tasty! Strawberries have always been one of my favourite fruit so I love nearly anything with them in and the crunchy meringue complements the softness of the cream and fruit. This was my first time at making meringue and was really happy at how it turned out. I'd always thought of meringue as a bit of challenge when people talk about "Stiff peaks" but now I love making it and am going to make a Lemon Meringue Pie for my Auntie at the weekend (post to follow!) And did you know that this pudding is originally from New Zealand- me neither! 

This recipe is from my Mum's trusty Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course.

You will need:

3 Large Fresh Egg Whites

175g (6oz) Caster Sugar

275ml (half a pint) Whipping or Double Cream (I used a 300ml pot)

Strawberries (Or any other fruit you want to add)

Preheat the oven to 150^oC/300^oF/Gas Mark 2.  Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper and grease lightly with oil/butter/margarine. 

Place the egg whites in a clean bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. This will be when the mixture looks like it has little mountains in it. Start to whisk in the sugar, a little at a time until all the sugar is combined. By now the peaks will have become stiffer- when you tip the mixer upright, they should stand up. 

Spoon the meringue mixture onto the baking sheet forming a circle with a little dip in the middle. (This will be where the fruit sits) To make the meringue look decorative, you can take a skewer or fork and create swirls and peaks around the edge. 

Place the baking sheet in the oven and immediately turn it down to 140^oC/275^oF/Gas Mark 1 and leave to cook for an hour. After an hour turn the oven of but keep the meringue inside until the oven has completely cooled. This is to allow the meringue to completely dry out and can take from 2 hours. 

When the meringue is ready, gently peel it off the baking paper and put it onto the serving dish. In a bowl whip up the cream- personally I like it quite thick. Spread the cream onto the meringue and arrange the strawberries on top. Serve with a little icing sugar on top. 

Happy Baking! 

x

Please leave a comment below! 

Follow @nicsfeasts and @NicckkNackk

I am entering this into my first Blog Event- Simple and In Season by Ren at Fabulicious Food. 

I am also entering this into Calendar Cakes by Dolly Bakes and Laura Loves Cakes because it's the perfect summer pudding! 

And into Let's Cook With Fruits by Simply Food

P.S Earlier on in August I went to the Bristol Hot Air Balloon Fiesta with my friend Sarah. (She also appears in Pretty Pink Wedding Cake) We saw some amazing sights but we particularly like the Churchill one!