How about trying this comforting easy fruit crumble recipe, perfect for the colder months. It is made even more tasty with the use of panela, an unrefined sugar made from organic dried sugarcane juice, which has the lovely natural aroma of toffee.
Not only are crumbles perfect for colder timess of the year - being comforting, warming and filling, they're also quick and easy to make as well as being perfect for using up fruits which may have sat that little too long in the fruit bowl.
I'll be the first to admit that a fruit crumble recipe isn't particularly cutting edge, but it is one of my favourite and must-have desserts during the older months. It's such a popular dessert, which the whole family is likely to enjoy.
The difference with this fruit crumble though is the use of panela, an unrefined sugar made from organic dried sugarcane juice. It really gave our crumble that something extra. The natural aroma of toffee which accompanies panela was delicious in the actual crumble and alongside the cooked fruits.
Ingredients
Scroll down for quantities and full printable recipe at the bottom of this post.
For the crumble
- self-raising flour
- Butter - chilled and cut into cubes
- Panela Sugar - see below. If you can't get panela sugar use light muscovado sugar instead.
- Porridge Oats
For the Fruit Layer
I used the following fruit but you can use other fruits - see below
- Plums
- Pears
- Apple
- Panela Sugar
About Panela Sugar.
The pack we bought, from our local supermarket, was produced in Colombia using the same sustainable methods which have been used for generations.
The harvested sugarcane is pressed and the resulting juice is filtered into a giant cauldron where it is heated until it produces a thick caramel like product. It is poured into square moulds to set, and is then pulverised to produce a fine powder making it perfect for use in baking.
How to use Panela Sugar in Baking.
Panela is dried sugarcane juice. It is an unrefined sugar and has a wonderful aroma of toffee, and to Mr B it also has a few subtle coffee notes too.
Panela can be used in so many ways from baked treats, like crumbles, cakes and cookies to sprinkling it on porridge. Basically it can be used in just the same way that we use caster sugars and other refined sugars that we're familiar with.
Simply use panela 'weight for weight' in place of refined sugar. Do consider the natural aroma and flavour of the panela when deciding on how to use it! Although it was great in our fruit crumble it wasn't quite right in our custard!
The Benefits of using Panela.
The process of making panela means that the final product retains the essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals that are present in raw sugarcane.
The pack of Colombian Panela we picked up from our local supermarket listed vitamin D and magnesium in the nutritional information table (61% RI and 18% RI respectively in 100g of panela).
Of course though, despite there being some nutritional value in the panela, it is still inherently sugar and therefore the body still has to deal with the sugar in the same way had it been a refined product.
Fruits to use in a crumble
- stone fruits - plums, peaches and apricots
- soft fruits- blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, and gooseberries
- Apples and Pears
- Rhubarb
This fruit crumble consisted of plums, pears and a granny smith apple - simply because that's what we had to hand, but there are so many other fruits which are perfect to be used in a fruit crumble:
Serve
With custard, cream or ice cream
Left overs will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
pin for later->
So, here's how to make a fruit crumble with panela sugar.
📖 Recipe
Fruit Crumble using Panela Sugar
Equipment
- Family Sized Baking Dish - ours measured 27cm x 20cm x 7cm (10½x8x3in)
Ingredients
For the Crumble
- 250 g S R Flour (9oz)
- 125 g Butter (4oz) chilled
- 125 g Panela Sugar (4oz)
- 60 g Porridge Oats (2½oz)
For the Fruit Layer
- 8 Plums
- 3 Pears
- 1 Granny Smith medium
- 1 tablespoon Panela Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan)/350°F/gas mark 4.
- Make the crumble. Place 250g flour and 125g chilled butter into a good sized bowl. Rub the butter into the flour between your thumb and finger tips, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 125g Panela sugar and 60g porridge oats to the crumble mixture and stir together until well incorporated. Set aside.
- Prepare the fruit. Use a paring knife to cut a line around the plums. Twist the top and bottom half of the plum in opposite directions so that the halves separate. Use the knife to carefully remove the plum stone. Cut each plum half into about 6 pieces. Half and core the pears. Remove the stalk and cut the pears into similar sized pieces to the plum. Peel the apple. Cut into quarters, core and chop into pieces.
- Assemble. Place the fruit into the baking dish. Toss together to distribute the fruit evenly. Scatter over a tablespoon of panela. Spoon the prepared crumble over the top.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for about 50 minutes. You may need to rotate the crumble after 30 minutes of baking. Use a paring knife, or similar, to prod through the crumble to check that the fruit is cooked sufficiently before serving.
- Enjoy with custard, cream or ice cream .
Notes
Never want to miss a recipe?
Subscribe to my newsletter Recipe Crumbs for all my latest recipes, posts and more straight into your inbox.
Have you made this recipe? I would love to hear from you. Did you enjoy it, did you change anything? Leave a comment and rate the recipe. Comments may be held for moderation before publishing.