Raymond Blanc’s Crumble Topping

I tried this and it really does make the best ever crumble topping. It has the further attribute of freezing well.

Rhubarb and Apple crumble will be even better from hence forward

For the crumble topping
• 80g/3oz plain flour
• 50g/2oz caster sugar
• 1½ tbsp brown sugar
• 55g/2oz cold unsalted butter, roughly chopped

Preparation method
1. For the topping, put all the topping ingredients into a food processor and pulse to blend them all together.
2. Bring the mixture together with your hands to form a dough and press evenly onto a baking tray and then freeze for one hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
4. Remove the crumble from the freezer, break into pieces and place in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
5. Spread the mixture evenly onto a baking tray to a thickness of about 5mm/½in.
6. Bake in the oven for seven minutes until golden-brown, then cut four discs with a 8cm/3in pastry cutter and return to the oven for three minutes. This method ensures the gluten in the flour is cooked, giving a lighter, more digestible topping.

Also I quadruple the quantities and freeze for future use.

Re: Raymond Blanc’s Crumble Topping

Mmmm... thanks for the recipe VM, I'll give that a try when I next make a crumble.

Re: Raymond Blanc’s Crumble Topping

VM. your'e in danger of getting your own cookery show on TV. Thats of course if there is any possible room for an other one.

Re: Raymond Blanc’s Crumble Topping

Sounds good, will have a try myself - though cooking is not one of my forte's.

Re: Raymond Blanc’s Crumble Topping

With rhubarb crumble it is best to cook the rhubarb separately and at the same time warm the desired amount of crumble topping. That way when you assemble the rhubarb and crumble the crumble stays nice and crumbly.

Incidentally always put a vanilla pod in your castor sugar tin to give the sugar a delicious vanillary flavour.

Re: Raymond Blanc’s Crumble Topping

How does it differ from almost every other Crumble Recipe i`ve seen ?

Re: Raymond Blanc’s Crumble Topping

That depends on what other crumble recipes you've seen.

Re: Raymond Blanc’s Crumble Topping

Raymond Blanc's recipe is very good but I am wondering if all that freezing and baking are necessary. If the ingredients are cold to start with it should be ok to tip the chopped mixture on top of the apples or rhubarb and then bake directly.

Re: Raymond Blanc’s Crumble Topping

I know this is changing the thread, but, does anyone watch the programme with the greedy Italian cooks - brilliant the best ever cook programme I have ever watched.

Re: Raymond Blanc’s Crumble Topping

Sorry VM but I can't see anything different in the recipe either. I tend not to pre-cook the fruit in either pies or crumble, particularly rhubarb, as it just turns to mush and I prefer the fruit to retain a little texture.

I think that like most television chefs, Blanc complicates things just to make themselves look clever on the box....