Comfort food

WINTER has kicked in and with it brings some delicious, hearty, belly-warming comfort food.

What better way to end a meal on a chilly evening than with an old-school style dessert, which feels like a big hug from your mum or grandmother?

I may be getting a little nostalgic, but to me that’s what comfort food is all about.

So, I decided to treat my little lads (and big lad) to a trip down my memory lane and throw together a gorgeous apple, pear and mixed berry crumble.

This recipe does digress from the traditional versions here, but it still very much comes under the “comfort food” classification.

Plus it was a great incentive for the lads to eat everything on their plates, even the green stuff.

The best thing about recipes like these is that you can adapt them according to whatever you have in the fruit bowl or pantry – make it your own but I do encourage you to stick with the almonds or some sort of nuts, it really makes it.

Apple, Pear and Mixed Berry Crumble

Ingredients

1 large apple

2 pears

¾ cup – 1 cup of mixed frozen berries

2 tablespoons butter, chopped into small pieces

¾ cup self raising flour

½ cup desiccated coconut

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup flaked almonds

Method

Preheat oven to 180C.

Stew apple and pears until soft. Place into an oven-proof dish (or individual ramekins) and mix through berries.

To make the crumble, rub the butter into the flour, coconut and sugar until it resembles breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over the fruit and top with the almonds.

Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with custard, ice cream or both.