I love crumbles, but mine are always so basic. Is there a way to make them more exciting?
Jenny, Cardiff, Wales, UK
Crumbles are the easygoing friend of the dessert world; they welcome all (fruits, nuts, spices, chocolate), and are simple to rustle up. But the real magic lies in “that squidgy layer between the fruit and crumble”, says ex-River Cafe pastry chef Anna Higham, who opens Quince bakery in London this autumn. Once that’s cracked – the winning formula is “lots of [fruit] juices and enough crumble to soak it up”.
“Crumbles are quite soft, so I’m a big fan of texture in the topping,” says Matt Adlard, author of Bake It Better. Nuts do the job nicely: hazelnuts roasted “to get a really toasty, nutty flavour”, say, or…