Strawberry Almond Crumble

And what a journey it has been. Over 170 posts, a few media mentions, association with so many culinary enthusiasts and fellow bloggers and lots of love and wishes from all of you have truly made this journey worthwhile. A huge word of thanks to all of you for visiting my space, reading my ramblings, liking my food, recreating them and obviously for leaving behind those super-encouraging words of appreciation.
Now guilty as I am charged of not even remembering my blog’s birthday, I didn’t even prepare any special meal for the occasion. I scanned my draft to look for the most suitable recipe that can still be passed of as worthy of a birthday party, and I bumped into this Strawberry Almond Crumble. Now strawberries are the flavour of the season and red is always the colour of celebration. So join me in wishing Guilt Free a very happy first birthday, albeit belated, with this luscious red and virgin gold Strawberry Almond Crumble.

Recipe mostly adapted from Nigella Lawson
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients:

For the filling:
Strawberries, hulled and halved: 500 gm
Caster sugar: 50 gm
Ground almonds: 50 gm
Amaretto/Vanilla extract: 3 tsp (I used Amaretto)

For the crumble:
Flour: 80 gm
Baking powder: 1 tsp
Cold butter, cubed: 75 gm
Ground almonds: 50 gm
Flaked almonds: 25 gm
Demerara sugar/brown sugar: 60 gm
Muesli: 75 gm (optional, I used strawberry flavoured ones)

Heavy cream, to serve

Method:

1. In a circular pie dish, put the hulled and halved strawberries. Sprinkle over the sugar, ground almond and amaretto/vanilla extract. Shake the dish a few times to let the ingredients mix well. Set aside.

2. For the crumble topping: Put the flour and baking powder in a bowl and rub in the cold, butter with them till the mixture roughly resembles a pale rubble.

3. Add the flaked as well as ground almonds, demerara sugar and half the muesli and mix well.

4. Tip the crumble mixture on top of the strawberry filling making sure that it is uniformly covering the strawberries. Press the topping a little at the edges of the dish. Sprinkle the remaining muesli on top.

5. Preheat the oven to 200 degree C. Set the dish on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 30-32 minutes. Once done, the crumble topping will have darkened to a pale gold and some red juices will be bubbling out at the edges.

6. Cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes. Serve with a generous dollop of double cream. Strawberry fields forever!

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