CRUMBS! Apple crumble has been named the country’s favourite dessert.
Sweet scoffers voted it the best part of a Sunday roast in a recent survey.
Laura Stott tries a wide selection of crumbles and gives her verdict[/caption]
Apple crumble has been named the country’s favourite dessert[/caption]
Served with lashings of custard, the pud is usually made with cooked apples and a flour-based sweetened topping.
Ready-made versions of the traditional treat are widely available on the high street.
But which of the supermarket bakes rises to the challenge – and who crumbles?
To find out, Laura Stott tried a wide selection, and here she gives her verdict along with a score out of five for each.
Bramley Apple Crumbles
M&S and Ocado, £3.30
These crumbles from M&S and Ocado gives off a lovely caramel smell[/caption]
PACKED with 42 per cent Bramley apple pieces and 11 per cent butter, these individual pots were very fruity.
The fruit stayed firm and had a noticeable crunch after I followed the microwave heating instructions.
While warming, they also gave off a lovely caramel smell.
But the puds congealed around the edges when eating and a fair amount ended up stuck to sides of the container.
They are very fruity with big chunks of apple and a nice golden topping.
For small servings there was a generous amount of crumble.
Good if you only want a small portion for one, but these are rather pricey.
RATING: 3/5
Apple Crumbles
Tesco, £2.80
The Tesco Apple Crumbles were too saccharine and a bit bland[/caption]
I WAS surprised at the generous amount of apple in these pots, considering each individual container is on the smaller side.
But although you get a good amount of fruit for your money, the chunks were mushy, stewed and without much flavour.
There are allegedly oats somewhere in the crumble, but I couldn’t detect them, and the texture was very fine and powdery.
Not perhaps the most home-cooked taste. Overall it was too saccharine and a bit bland.
But the price is good, and popping one of these in microwave will hit the spot in a hurry.
RATING: 2/5
Fruity Filling Bramley Apple Crumbles
Co-op, £2.85
Fruity Filling Bramley Apple Crumbles from Co-op smell delicious[/caption]
THESE little puds, which pack a great flavour punch, contain 42 per cent Bramley apple and eight per cent oats.
The crumble on top had a fabulous nutty texture which was probably the best of all the individual serving options, while three per cent butter also makes them seem rich and luxurious.
Additional apple puree on top of the chunks of fruit in the filling makes the dessert extremely flavoursome – and they also smell delicious.
They are crying out for some thick yellow custard poured all over the top for a perfect retro autumnal pudding.
RATING: 4/5
Bramley Apple Crumbles
Sainsbury’s, £2.45
The fruit was rather watery in these Bramley Apple Crumbles from Sainsbury’s[/caption]
THE size is on the small side, so these crumbles are definitely not the best if you like a hearty pudding or you’re looking for a more robust pud to round off your roast.
Filling-wise, the puds offer a nice – if rather sweet – Bramley compote which contains 38 per cent fruit, and you get 13 per cent compote on top for even more apple flavour.
But the fruit was rather watery.
There is quite a strong taste of honey, and while the one per cent oats in the topping provide a bit of crunch, a bit more would be welcome – especially considering the price.
Fairly average.
RATING: 2/5
Apple Crumble
Morrisons, £2.50
This crumble from Morrisons is extremely well-priced[/caption]
MADE with 36 per cent apples, flour, brown sugar and butter alongside apple juice, the minimal ingredients are very close to what you might use if you were making a crumble yourself.
This generous pud has loads of big, hefty apple slices, and the topping was as tasty as they come – so much so that I found myself still spooning it off the top even after I had finished my serving.
The shape of this tray-style dessert is smaller but deeper, so you get good, thick layers of fruit and dense sweet golden crumbs on the top – absolutely perfect with a splash of custard or dollop of ice cream.
It tasted amazing out of the oven and is extremely well- priced to boot.
RATING: 5/5
The Bakery Apple Crumble
Asda, £3.98
The Bakery Apple Crumble from Asda is full of fibre[/caption]
AT a whopping 500g, you will have more than enough of this tray-style crumble for the whole family after your Sunday roast – and possibly some left over for Monday too.
The Bramley apples, which make up an impressive 32 per cent of the total ingredients, have been cut into nice big juicy chunks that didn’t go mushy.
As for the topping, the taste was buttery but not too sweet.
Three per cent oats are in the mix, giving real texture and crunch as well as being full of fibre – so it’s good for your gut as well.
Very nice indeed.
RATING: 4/5
The Dessert Menu Bramley Apple Crumble
Aldi, £2.95
Aldi’s The Dessert Menu Bramley Apple Crumble is ideal for serving after a family meal[/caption]
PRICEY for the budget supermarket, but this pud has been made with very good ingredients.
You get 39 per cent proper Bramley cooking apples and the topping is made with salted butter which stops everything tasting too sweet.
It is also bolstered by a substantial nine per cent of oats in the topping which makes the dessert very hearty and wholesome as well as a lot more filling.
Pop the large tray in the oven for 30 minutes to heat and it comes out smelling delicious, bubbling at the sides with a golden top.
Ideal for serving after a family meal.
RATING: 4/5
Rowan Hill Apple Crumble Cake
Lidl, £1.99
Lidl’s Rowan Hill Apple Crumble Cake has a true pudding taste[/caption]
A slightly different take on a traditional apple crumble, this is a nifty traybake-style sponge with apple filling and a thick, golden crumble topping.
You can have it hot or cold – but the look and taste of the latter is stodgier.
For a true pudding taste, warm in the oven for five minutes, which releases all the yummy baking aromas and delivers a traditional-style dessert.
Because of the way the cake is made, it would travel well. You could even break off pieces to eat while driving or on the train, although the packet isn’t easy to open.
As most of the filling is “apple flavoured”, with only nine per cent real fruit, it is on the sweeter side, especially the biscuity topping.
Not a classic crumble, but it is a great price and will feed up to eight people.
RATING: 2/5
