A CRUMBLE is probably the most familiar to most of us. It is a streusel-like topping over fresh fruit that gets baked. The streusel is usually a simple mix of flour, brown sugar, butter, oats, nuts or spices.
A COBBLER is a scone dough placed over a sweet or savoury mixture. The dough is cut into rounds, giving it the appearance of a cobbled road, hence the name.
CITRUS TRIFLE CRUMBLE
Serves 4 to 6
1 loaf Madeira cake, sliced
3 oranges, peeled and segmented
125ml orange juice
10ml orange liqueur
125ml bought or home-made lemon curd
Crumble
50g butter, chilled
30ml castor sugar
200ml cake flour
125ml desiccated coconut
5ml orange rind
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Place a layer of cake at the bottom of an oven-proof dish. Arrange orange segments over the cake.
Combine orange juice and liqueur and drizzle over the top.
Top with a layer of lemon curd and a layer of crumble.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden.
Serve with whipped cream.
CRUMBLE: Place butter, sugar and flour into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Stir in the coconut and orange rind.
VANILLA, PEAR AND BERRY CRUMBLE
Serves 4 to 6
15g butter
6 pears, peeled, cored and cut into 3cm pieces
5ml vanilla pasteor vanilla essence
30ml castor sugar
500ml frozen mixed berries
Crumble
250ml flour
60ml brown sugar
75g butter
125ml oats
80ml flaked almonds
60ml shredded coconut
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add pears, vanilla and sugar. Mix well to combine.
Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the pear is just tender.
Stir in the berries.
Divide the mixture among 4 to 6 ovenproof ramekins.
Top with the crumble and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden.
CRUMBLE: Combine flour, sugar and butter in a processor and blend to resemble breadcrumbs.
Stir in the oats, almonds and coconut.
BANOFFIE CRUMBLE
Serves 4 to 6
125g butter
125ml castor sugar
250ml flour
5ml baking powder
a pinch of salt
2 eggs
5ml vanilla essence
3 to 4 bananas, peeled and sliced diagonally
385g tin of caramel condensed milk
Crumble
125ml flour
125g butter
60ml brown sugar
60ml pecan nuts, roughly chopped
60ml oats
5ml ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Grease an ovenproof dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Place butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, eggs and vanilla into a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour batter into the prepared dish.
Layer the bananas on top and cover with caramel.
Sprinkle the crumble over the caramel to cover and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until golden and bubbly.
CRUMBLE: Place flour, butter and sugar into a food processor and blend to resemble breadcrumbs.
Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until combined.
CITRUS VEGETABLE STEW WITH CHEESE AND HERB COBBLER
Serves 6 to 8
Stew
2 to 3 small leeks, sliced
3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 to 4 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
45ml olive oil
salt and pepper
grated rind of 1 orange
80ml fresh orange juice
250ml vegetable stock
Cobbler
500ml cake flour
10ml baking powder
80g butter, cubed
500ml grated mature cheddar cheese
45ml chopped chives
45ml chopped parsley
1 egg, beaten
about 250ml milk
beaten egg for glazing
Combine all the vegetables in an ovenproof casserole. Pour over the olive oil and seasoning and toss well to coat.
Add the orange rind, juice and stock and roast at 180°C for 30 to 40 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
Remove from oven. If all the liquid has evaporated, add more vegetable stock.
Arrange the cobbler topping over the vegetables.
Return to the oven and bake until the cobbler topping is golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove and serve warm.
COBBLER: Combine the flour and baking powder in a bowl. Add the butter and rub in with your finger tips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the cheese and herbs and mix.
Combine the egg and milk and add enough of it to the mixture to form a dough that is soft but not sticky.
Turn on to a floured surface and knead gently. Roll out to about 2cm thickness and, using a scone cutter or a glass, cut out the dough.
Arrange over the vegetables and brush with beaten egg.
APPLE AND STRAWBERRY PINWHEEL COBBLER
Serves 4 to 6
60g butter
6 apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
60ml castor sugar
30ml lemon juice
5ml ground cinnamon
250g strawberries, halved
Topping
500ml cake flour
10ml baking powder
60ml castor sugar
100g butter, cubed
1 egg, beaten
about 250ml buttermilk
160ml smooth strawberry jam
Heat the butter in a pan and add the apples, castor sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Cook gently for about 5 minutes. Add the strawberries and mix.
Remove and place in an ovenproof dish. Arrange the pinwheel topping over the fruit and bake at 180°C for 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown.
Remove and sift with icing sugar before serving with either whipped cream or custard.
TOPPING: Combine the flour, baking powder and castor sugar in a bowl.
Add the butter and rub in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Combine the egg and buttermilk and mix well. Add to the flour to form a dough that is soft but not sticky.
Turn on to a floured surface and knead gently. Roll out to form a rectangle abut 30 x 25cm. Spread with the jam and roll up from the long side like a Swiss roll.
Cut into slices about 3cm thick.
Arrange cut-side up over the fruit.
BEEF STEW WITH SWEET POTATO COBBLER
Serves 4 to 6
1kg beef shin, cubed
45ml seasoned flour
45ml olive oil
10ml chopped garlic
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
2 stalks of celery, chopped
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
30ml tomato paste
250ml beef stock
salt and pepper
Cobbler topping
500ml cake flour
10ml baking powder
80g butter, cubed
125ml grated Parmesan cheese
250ml cooked and mashed orange sweet potato
1 egg
180 to 200ml buttermilk
beaten egg for glazing
extra grated Parmesan
Toss the beef in seasoned flour.
Heat the oil in a pot and fry the meat in batches till nicely browned. Remove and set aside.
Add garlic, onion, carrot and celery to the pot and fry for 5 minutes.
Return the meat to the pot with the tomatoes, tomato paste and beef stock. Season well.
Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the meat is tender –for 1 to 2 hours.
Spoon the mixture into an ovenproof casserole. Arrange the cobbler topping over the meat. Bake at 180°C for 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown.
Remove and serve warm.
COBBLER: Combine the flour, baking powder and butter in a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Mix in the Parmesan cheese.
Combine the sweet potato, egg and buttermilk and mix well. Add to the flour mixture to form a dough that is soft but not sticky.
Turn on to a floured surface and knead gently. Roll out to about 2cm thickness and cut out with a scone cutter or a glass.
Place over the meat. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle a little cheese on each scone.
The Star