Gorgeous homemade puds don't get any more warming than this classic dish which uses economical ingredients. The best crumbles are so easy they don't need a complicated recipe. Here's mine.

Ingredients

• 3 large apples, peeled and cored
• 500 grams rhubarb, trimmed
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup water
• pinch mixed spice, optional
• Crumble
• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 75 grams butter

Method

1. Slice the apple and rhubarb finely and place in a shallow saucepan with the sugar, spices, water and mixed spice if using. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook gently for 10 minutes or until the fruit is tender.
2. Transfer the apple mixture to a 4-5 cup capacity pie dish.
3. Place the flour and sugar in a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles crumbs. Sprinkle over the topping.
4. Bake in a 180ºC oven for 35-40 minutes unti lthe crumble is well cooked and golden. Serve hot with whipped cream and custard.

Cooks Tips

Jazz it up - make the humble crumble the next dessert you serve to friends. Replace ¼ of the flour with coconut, oats or flaked almonds and make the pud in individual dishes. Use cups and then serve on their saucers. Hand custard or cream around so that people can pour the cream into the centre of the hot pud before eating.

Shortcut - use canned apple an 800 gram can will be fine, jazzed up with mixed spice and a handful of sultanas. Warm through before putting the crumble on top. As canned apples are only blanched and canned, you'll need to sweeten to your own liking.

Did you know? Crumbles weren't heard of until the 1940's. Up until then, rather more elaborate apple puddings were the norm, such as apple pie. But even back then people searched for shortcuts and the crumble with its easy "rub-in topping" became incredibly popular and has stayed so ever since.

- To add a little interest or fibure to the crumble use ½ plain flour and half wholemeal flour and rolled oats.