Almond and Plum Crumble
A delicious dessert, particularly suitable for this time of year, when Nature’s bounty is at its best and getting ready for winter. Plums are a good source of vitamin C (great for dealing with free radicals); oats are high in dietary fibre (aids digestion) and a good source of tryptophan (helps the production of serotonin, a mood booster and sleep improver); ginger and cinnamon are warming spices with antimicrobial qualities and help digestion and blood sugar regulation. The crumble is lovely on its own, either hot or cold; serve with warm almond and ginger chia custard for some added indulgence.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
For the crumble
- 1 kg of ripe plums
- 225 g gluten-free oats
- 115 g flaked almonds
- 115 g ground almonds
- 4 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the almond and ginger chia custard
- 480 ml almond 'milk'
- 3 tbsp chia seeds
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 inch fresh ginger root thinly sliced
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan assisted
- Slice the plums in half, remove the stones and arrange in a square oven-proof baking dish.
- Drizzle the plums with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Sprinkle over the ground ginger, one teaspoon of the ground cinnamon and the vanilla extract. Using your hands, coat the plum halves evenly in the flavourings. Ensure the plums are level and even in the baking dish and set to one side.
- To prepare the crumble, add the oats to a large mixing bowl along with the ground almonds and remaining cinnamon. Lightly crumble in the flaked almonds and mix everything well to combine.
- Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of maple syrup over the dry crumble ingredients along with the melted coconut oil. Use your fingers to rub the ingredients together to form a chunky crumb.
- Scatter the crumble mixture evenly over the top of the plums.
- Cover the crumble loosely with foil and transfer to the oven to bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue to bake uncovered for a further 15-20 minutes until the fruit is soft and bubbling and the crumble is golden brown.
- Whilst the crumble finishes baking you can prepare the custard. Add 1 cup of almond ‘milk’ to a high-speed blender along with the chia seeds and blend until completely smooth.
- Whilst the mixture is blending, add the remaining ‘milk’ to a small pan over a low/medium heat. Add the maple syrup, sliced fresh ginger and vanilla. Bring the mixture up to a very gentle boil and simmer for a minute or two, in order to infuse the ginger.
- Remove the ginger from the pan with a slotted spoon and discard.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the chia-‘milk’ mixture until completely combined.
- Return to a gentle heat for 2-3 minutes until the custard is hot through and begins to thicken. Allow to cool and thicken further slightly before serving along with the crumble.
Notes
Allergens: Nuts. CNM recommends the use of organic ingredients.
