Gluten-Free Fruit Crumble

A gluten-free version of a very popular dessert.

Vegetarian; can be made vegan. Hands-on time: 10 mins. Total time: 40 mins.

Contributed by Joan Gallagher (December 2008).

Fruit crumble is always a good standby in the dessert department. It's easy to make, very versatile, and especially popular with kids. You can use just about any fruit you like for the filling. This particular recipe calls for apples and mixed berries, but the recipe also works well with plums, apricots, rhubarb, pineapple - whatever you have to hand.

You'll also need a gluten-free flour. I favor Doves Farm plain white flour blend, which contains rice flour, potato flour, tapioca, maize meal and buckwheat flour. Alternatively, you can use a simple mixture of rice flour and buckwheat flour (but check that the buckwheat is in fact gluten-free, as some manufacturers blend it with wheat flour).

The quantities given here will make about six portions.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (10 oz, 300 g) gluten-free flour (see above)
• ½ cup (4 oz, 110 g) butter or margarine
• ¾ cup (3 oz, 75 g) soft brown sugar
• 2 large cooking apples
• approx. 1 cup (4 oz, 110 g) mixed berries (such as cranberries, blackberries or blueberries)
• ¾ cup (4 oz, 110 g) white sugar
• 1 tbsp. water

Method

Oven: Pre-heat to 350F (180C)

Start by making the topping. To do so, rub the flour and butter together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in the brown sugar.

Peel and core the apples. Place them in an oven-proof dish, along with the berries, white sugar and water. Spread the topping over the fruit, pressing down to form a firm layer.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.

Note on quantities and temperatures:
Quantities are given in American (cups), imperial (oz, fl oz) and metric (g, ml) units. Do not mix the units - use one or other system throughout the recipe.
See also How much does a cup weigh?
oz = ounces, fl oz = fluid ounces, g = grams, ml = milliliters, tsp = teaspoons, tbsp = tablespoons.
Oven temperatures are given in degrees F (Fahrenheit) and C (Celsius).
For fan-assisted ovens, reduce the temperature by 20F or 10C.