Strawberry and Almond Crumble
by Nigella. Featured in KITCHENIntroduction
If I’d had to choose one thing that cooking could not make better, I’d have put good money on its being a bad (as in unripe and tasteless) strawberry. I’d be embarrassed even to own up to trying to improve it, were it not for the fact that I read an article by Saint Simon of Hopkinson in which he advised using said strawbuggers in a pie. So I did. Well, that’s not quite true: I am lazier than he is, so I made a crumble. I don’t know what, how or why it happened, but this is a crumble of dreams. The oven doesn’t, as you’d think, turn the berries into a red-tinted mush of slime, but into berry-intense bursts of tender juiciness. This is nothing short of alchemy: you take the crunchiest, most disappointing strawberries, top them with an almondy, buttery rubble, bake and turn them on a cold day into the taste of English summer. Naturally, serve with lashings of cream: I regard this is as obligatory not optional.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
If I’d had to choose one thing that cooking could not make better, I’d have put good money on its being a bad (as in unripe and tasteless) strawberry. I’d be embarrassed even to own up to trying to improve it, were it not for the fact that I read an article by Saint Simon of Hopkinson in which he advised using said strawbuggers in a pie. So I did. Well, that’s not quite true: I am lazier than he is, so I made a crumble. I don’t know what, how or why it happened, but this is a crumble of dreams. The oven doesn’t, as you’d think, turn the berries into a red-tinted mush of slime, but into berry-intense bursts of tender juiciness. This is nothing short of alchemy: you take the crunchiest, most disappointing strawberries, top them with an almondy, buttery rubble, bake and turn them on a cold day into the taste of English summer. Naturally, serve with lashings of cream: I regard this is as obligatory not optional.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Yields: 6 servings
For the Filling:
- 500 grams strawberries (hulled)
- 50 grams caster sugar
- 25 grams ground almonds
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Topping:
- 110 grams plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 75 grams cold butter (diced)
- 100 grams flaked almonds
- 75 grams demerara sugar
- double cream (to serve)
For the Filling:
- 1 pound strawberries (hulled)
- ¼ cup superfine sugar
- ¼ cup almond meal
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Topping:
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 5 tablespoons cold butter (diced)
- 1¼ cups sliced almonds
- ½ cup turbinado sugar
- heavy cream (to serve)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200C/180°C Fan/gas mark 6/400ºF. Put the hulled strawberries into your pie dish, I use a round ovenproof pie dish approx. 21cm diameter x 4cm deep (approx. 1.25 litre capacity) / 8 inches diameter x 2 inches deep (approx. 1¼ quarts capacity), and sprinkle over them the sugar, almonds and vanilla extract. Give the dish a good shake or two to mix the ingredients.
- Now for the crumble topping: put the flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl and rub in the cold, diced butter between thumb and fingers (or in a freestanding mixer). When you’ve finished, it should resemble rough, pale oatmeal. Stir in the flaked almonds and sugar with a fork.
- Tip this over the strawberry mixture, covering the strawberries in an even layer and giving a bit of a press in at the edges of the dish. Set the dish on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, by which time the crumble topping will have darkened to a pale gold and some pink-red juices will be seeping and bubbling out at the edges.
- Leave to stand for 10 minutes before serving, and be sure to put a jug of chilled double cream on the table alongside.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/180°C Fan/gas mark 6/400ºF. Put the hulled strawberries into your pie dish, I use a round ovenproof pie dish approx. 21cm diameter x 4cm deep (approx. 1.25 litre capacity) / 8 inches diameter x 2 inches deep (approx. 1¼ quarts capacity), and sprinkle over them the sugar, almonds and vanilla extract. Give the dish a good shake or two to mix the ingredients.
- Now for the crumble topping: put the flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl and rub in the cold, diced butter between thumb and fingers (or in a freestanding mixer). When you’ve finished, it should resemble rough, pale oatmeal. Stir in the sliced almonds and sugar with a fork.
- Tip this over the strawberry mixture, covering the strawberries in an even layer and giving a bit of a press in at the edges of the dish. Set the dish on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, by which time the crumble topping will have darkened to a pale gold and some pink-red juices will be seeping and bubbling out at the edges.
- Leave to stand for 10 minutes before serving, and be sure to put a jug of chilled heavy cream on the table alongside.
Additional Information
MAKE AHEAD:
The crumble can be assembled 1 day ahead. Cover with clingfilm and store in the fridge until needed. Bake as directed in the recipe, but allowing an extra 5-10 minutes' cooking time and check the crumble is piping hot in the centre.
FREEZE:
Crumble topping can be made and frozen in resealable plastic bags, for up to 3 months. Sprinkle topping direct from the freezer over the fruit, breaking up large lumps with your hands. The assembled but unbaked crumble can be frozen, wrapped in a double layer of clingfilm and a layer of foil, for up to 3 months. Defrost for 24 hours in the fridge and bake as above.
MAKE AHEAD:
The crumble can be assembled 1 day ahead. Cover with clingfilm and store in the fridge until needed. Bake as directed in the recipe, but allowing an extra 5-10 minutes' cooking time and check the crumble is piping hot in the centre.
FREEZE:
Crumble topping can be made and frozen in resealable plastic bags, for up to 3 months. Sprinkle topping direct from the freezer over the fruit, breaking up large lumps with your hands. The assembled but unbaked crumble can be frozen, wrapped in a double layer of clingfilm and a layer of foil, for up to 3 months. Defrost for 24 hours in the fridge and bake as above.
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Show more commentsExcellent recipe. Had rhubarb and raspberry from the garden and mixed together in the amount listed, with 1 tsp. cornstarch. Also used 50 grams spelt flour and 60 grams all purpose flour instead of the 110 grams APF, and the topping ws really good.
This is a fabulous recipe.
It’s absolutely perfect, for anytime. Don’t wait for the cold months. Can you use granulated sugar?
"Strawbugger" is exactly the right name for sad supermarket strawberries, especially here in Australia. Baking them into this crumble makes them wonderfull fragrant, and this method even works with frozen strawberries. The almonds in the crumble add a delicious crunch. Thank you Nigella!
This is a must try recipe... delicious. If making with English strawberries in the summer, be sure to lessen the amount of sugar as it’s really not needed. Gorgeous!! I now use this crumble topping for every different crumble I make too!
I made this for Mother’s Day dinner this year (in Australia) and it is honestly delicious. I did the prep the day before- & then just spread the crumble top over the prepared strawberries just before baking. I’m going to try it next time in little ramekins, and serve as individuals desserts. As Nigella says, even bland store bought strawberries become delicious, plump mouthfuls of yum! I served it with ice cream. I can thoroughly recommend this yummy dish.
This is so simple to make and it tastes so good! It's the perfect recipe to use the tasteless strawberries that are still in the supermarket now that the summer is over. We have ours with double cream but I think it would be delicious with ice cream or custard.
I just made this (currently enjoying my 2nd helping). Delicious! I substituted the almond flake for almond meal as I didnt have any. Worked fine. Nom, nom, nom
I've made this 3 times and it's always a hit! I do add 2 tablespoons of whole oats to the crumble topping. I serve it with a big scoop of good vanilla ice cream, scrumptious!
I have used this recipe before, after scribbling it down whilst watching Nigella on the TV and loved it! But I lost the recipe so have come to the site to find it again and thought I would add my comment. I use my home grown strawberries for this crumble and it is so delicious I think I could eat a whole one myself! My family and friends adore it too. I agree with you Nigella, it has to be alchemy to make such a delicious dessert. Thanks for the recipe.
This is one of my most favorite things....ever. I make it all the time. Just brilliant. Its exactly like Nigella said: its English summer on a winter's day.
I made this the other night but used plums instead as I have a plum tree and it worked amazingly well. I did add a tablespoon of cornflour to the plums as they are more watery then strawberries. This helps thicken the sauce a little. I have made the strawberry version many times and love it also.