Peach Crumble

Ingredients

• 8 kg/about 8 firm but ripe peaches
• 2–3 tablespoons apple juice concentrate
• 1 tablespoon unbleached plain flour
• a pinch of salt

For the crumble

• 80 g hazelnuts or other nuts
• 65 g unbleached plain flour
• 50 g rolled oats
• grated zest of 1 orange or lemon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon bourbon vanilla powder
• a pinch of salt
• 85 g brown rice or agave syrup
• 50 g non-hydrogenated margarine, at room temperature

Method

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2.

For the crumble, put the nuts in a baking pan and roast in the preheated oven for 8–10 minutes. Rub off any skins that have loosened from the nuts, then roughly chop the nuts by hand or in a food processor. Big pieces will burn while the crumble is baking, so make them quite small.

Put the flour, oats, zest, cinnamon, vanilla powder and salt in a bowl and stir. Add the syrup and mix well, then work the margarine in with your hands, rubbing it quickly between your fingers. When the mixture looks crumbly, add the chopped nuts.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

Blanch the peaches in a saucepan of boiling water for 1–2 minutes – just long enough to be able to peel the skin off easily. Transfer them to a bowl of cold water so you don’t burn your fingers, then peel off the skin.

Halve and pit the peaches and cut them into wedges. Toss them with the apple juice concentrate, flour and salt. Spread them in an 8-cup capacity ovenproof dish and cover them evenly with the crumble.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes or until the crumble topping is golden brown and the juice is bubbling up around the edges.

The crumble is best served warm, but if you happen to have leftovers and serve it as a dessert the next day, I’m sure no one will complain!