Real Chocolate, Almond & Raspberry Shortbread Crumble
Being a fine dining caterer and handling some of the world’s most high-end foods, I do sometimes get a little sick of it, I have to say. So once back at base, I love nothing better than a quick and easy recipe from a tasty Cesar salad (and yes, it must be with salted anchovies) to a simple soup. And one of my favourites go-to recipes has to be crumble with lashings of custard. As the internet flooded with never-ending ways of making them crumble, one more recipe is not going to break the recipe bank.
I know we have the diehard crumble purists that are going to say this is not a crumble, but I would disagree! This recipe is so simple and quick to put together and tastes amazing. I know that is a bold statement, but please, just have a go. I’m sure this recipe will also end up one of your firm favourites as well and it’s also cheap to produce and really hits home on a Sunday Lunch. You are going to love it.
This will serve up enough for 4 friends, family or guests.
Ingredients
65 g cocoa powder
60 g plain flour
100 g of caster sugar for the crumble and 75 g for the raspberry compote
100 g ground almonds
75 g cold diced unsalted butter
A pinch of crumbled Maldon Sea Salt
Dash of vanilla essence
1 bag of frozen raspberries
1 tablespoon of cornflour
A few spoons of thick double cream
Optional 50 g flaked toasted almonds
Optional extra bitter chocolate grated
Before you start
Make sure you have everything to hand. Preheat your oven to 160c.
Get a large mixing bowl out and making sure your work surface is clear and you have all your utensils ready. Warm your serving dishes and get that custard ready to pour (no harm in using tinned custard).
If you’re planning head
This recipe can actually keep for up to a week with the crumble in an airtight container at room temperature and the thickened raspberries in the fridge. To reheat you only need to microwave the raspberries until hot, and you can reheat the crumble in a frying pan over the low heat on the hob top it won’t take long.
Method
- Place the raspberries in a large wide open top pan and scatter the 75 g of sugar or more to taste and the cornflour over the top. Leave to defrost for about 15 minutes (make sure the raspberries are only one layer thick and not stacked on top of each other), they won’t take long.
- In the meantime, let’s get this get crumble mixed. Place the flour, cold butter, cocoa, ground almonds and caster sugar together in a bowl. Mix the crumble between your fingers and thumbs until you have the texture of fine breadcrumbs and all the butter is incorporated. Add the salt and a dash of vanilla essence, fork these through your mixture and transfer to a flat baking sheet, place in your preheated oven and cook for around 20 minutes in the middle of the oven.
- Thicken up your defrosted raspberries on a low heat. Once soften and cooked, transfer to your warmed serving bowls, top with your crumble mix and serve with the cream, flaked almonds and grated chocolate on top. Serve and pour the custard.
Stephen Toward is the chef and founder of Stoves Dining, a private dining and catering company bringing restaurant-quality cuisine directly into homes and businesses across London and the Southeast. After training and gaining experience in Michelin-starred kitchens across Europe, Stephen went on to hold Head Chef roles at the renowned Burgh Island Hotel and Langshott Manor.
In 2010 he launched Stoves Dining with a simple vision: to create exceptional food experiences that bring people together around the table. Known for his creativity, passion for seasonal ingredients and attention to detail, Stephen specialises in tailored dining experiences designed to turn memorable occasions into unforgettable ones.
If you like this recipe by Steve, you may also like:
Meet the Chef: Steve Toward & his Sussex Fine Dining Experience
