Tropical Crumble

Good morning!

I realise it’s been a while since I’ve posted a dessert recipe so today’s the day to change that.

The humble gooseberry; ideal for the British climate as it responds well to our cool, damp conditions.  Whilst it is of European descent, it found popularity in Britain during the 16th century as it was thought to be a cure for the plague(!), and then again in the 19th century (predominantly for wine making).   It has now become something of a rarity, which is a shame as they are rich in vitamins A & C as well as being a good source of fibre.

Until this week, I had never tried the tart fruit whose taste is reminiscent to that of a kiwi fruit.  Seeing as my palate is not one that is fond of sour tastes (I do believe it’s an evolutionary mechanism to ward us away from that which is harmful; which, to the contrary, gooseberries are not), I had to get my thinking cap on in order to enjoy it.  Hence, the tropical crumble- inspired by the kiwi fruit.  To be honest, it could do with some more coconut in so you may want to play around with the sugar-coconut ratio.  Tom kept asking if it had apple in it (I guess it’s the texture of cooked gooseberries and that cooking apples have a similar tartness to the gooseberries, particularly in their raw form).

A Tropical Crumble

For the fruit mix:

1 punnet of gooseberries

A couple of handfuls of blueberries and strawberries

2 tbsp golden caster sugar

2 tsp vanilla essence

1 oz dessicated coconut

For  the crumble:

7 oz gluten-free flour blend

2 oz dessicated coconut

3 oz golden caster sugar

4 oz dairy-free spread

Preheat the oven to 180C (fan).

Place all the ingredients for the fruit mix  in a shallow overproof bowl and stir to combine.

Then combine all the crumble ingredients in a large bowl, and rub between your fingers until the crumble resembles fine breadcrumbs. Put in the middle of the oven for approx 30 minutes or until the crumble is golden brown.

Serve straight from the oven, or leave to cool and store covered in the fridge until needed, and where it will keep for a few days.

The crumble can be enjoyed hot or cold, and preferably with your favourite dairy-free ice cream or yoghurt.

What’s your favourite fruit filling in a crumble? Tom gets annoyed when I deviate from the traditional apple crumble.

However, this crumble still found a way into his tummy