Easy Peasy Strawberry Almond Crumble

The original recipe I followed was for Apple&Blackberry Crumble, which I got from thecookbook that the boys' school's Parent Volunteer Group compiled (and I contributed 2 recipes to) and sold.

I don't really like apples and I couldnt find blackberries so I decided to use strawberries instead. There weren't any fresh ones (Plus fresh ones are a bit expensive) so I used frozen ones instead (only SR5.20 per kilo).
I also didnt want a plain crumble topping, so I decided to add some almonds into the topping to give it a bit of an edge.

Easy Peasy Strawberry Almond Crumble

500g fresh strawberries sliced or cut into small pieces(or any kinds of berries/fruits you like, I used 1kg of frozen strawberries, reduced to 500g after defrosting*)
100g castor sugar

150g flour (i used plain white, self raising flour)
100g finely ground almonds (either buy them ready ground ones or just put some almonds thru your spice mill)
half teaspoon baking powder
100g unsalted butter
100g brown sugar
a handful of roughly chopped almonds (optional)

Pre-heat your oven to 375deg Farenhite.
For filling: Mix the strawberries with castor sugar thoroughly. Taste and add more sugar if necessary (coz some strawberries are more sour than others). Spoon into a 1.7L baking dish.
For crumble topping: Mix flour, ground almonds and baking powder thoroughly in a huge bowl. Rub in butter (with your fingers) to form fine breadcrumb-like mix. Carefully stir in brown sugar and chopped almonds.
Sprinkle crumble topping over the filling till it is completely covered.
Bake for 30-40 minutes till the top is golden brown. Set aside to cool before serving.

* Note: Since I used frozen strawberries, I had to defrost them first and they turned out to be quite soggy. In an attempt to reduce the sogginess, I decided to cook the filling over medium heat. When that didnt work too well, I added 2 teaspoons of corn flour to thicken it. It turned out okay. If you use fresh fruit, you do not need to cook them first. I think at least it'd retain its 'crunchiness'

This was served on its own or with a choice of vanilla ice-cream or whipped cream. YUMMEH!
The topping was nutty and crunchy and crumbly and buttery with just a slight sweetness, while the filling was fruity sweet and tangy and really soft.



Happy trying!