From Alice Nivens Cafe fame, this crumble is the bees kneez. I don’t know what makes it work, so I don’t dare change the process - you’re going to have to trust me when I say, par-bake it! Recently I tried this recipe with soft brown sugar for a more caramelised flavour and it took my apple crumble muffins to the next level!

Makes enough to generously cover one batch of my muffin recipe here.

Ingredients

200g plain flour, sifted
125g unsalted butter, softened
80g caster sugar (for a more caramelised flavour, substitute for soft brown sugar)

Method

Line a baking tray with parchment paper and pre-heat the oven to 160 degC.

In a food processor or free standing mixer, combine all ingredients until it is a breadcrumb-like mixture. If the mixture does not come together to form chunky bit’s - don’t fret.

Pour mixture on to the baking tray; if you like your crumble chunky like I do, use your hands to squish clumps together (like the above photo). Place tray on the top shelf of the oven and bake for 10 mins, before removing from the oven, allowing the crumble to cool.

The crumble is now ready to use! When using it in conjunction with my muffin recipe, once you’ve portioned out the muffin mix into the muffin tray, divide the crumble evenly between the 12 muffins. Bake as per the muffin recipe and enjoy!

Crumble mix can keep in an airtight container, in a cool dry place for up to one week.