One of the things I love about Christmas is playing around with everyday recipes and adapting them by adding a little bit if sparkle. This festive crumble is a wonderful example of how simple dishes can be taken up a level to create amazing dishes that will have your friends and family feeling happy at the table. A delicious blend of apple, cranberries, mince meat and custard topped with a sweet, light crumble. Enjoy.
Christmas Crumble
Posted on December 4, 2016 by The Gourmet Vegan - No Comments
Christmas Crumble
 60 Minutes |
 Serves 4 |
 ? kcal per serving |
INGREDIENTS
Crumble Filling
300 g fresh cranberries
125 g ( 1 cup ) caster sugar
240 ml ( 1 cup ) water
5 tablespoons vegan mincemeat ( the kind used for making mince pies )
3 large cooking apples, peeled and chopped into large slices.
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Seeds from 1 large pomegranate
400 ml ( 14 fl oz ) prepared vegan custard ( I use Alpro )
1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
Crumble Mix
225 g ( 8 oz ) plain flour
110 g ( 4.5 oz ) vegan margarine, I use Vitalite
50 g ( 2 oz ) caster sugar
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius ( 375 F ) Gas Mark 5.
Begin by preparing the cranberries.
1 In a saucepan, add the cranberries along with the cup of sugar and cup of water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5-6 minutes until the cranberries have burst and the juices have started to release.
2 Stir in the 5 tablespoons of vegan mincemeat, mix well and remove from the heat. Set aside.
Now prepare the crumble mix.
3 In a large bowl, add the flour, margarine and sugar. Using your fingers and the palm of your hand, run gently together until the mixture resembles very fine breadcrumbs. Put to one side and begin assembling the crumble.
4 Place the apple slices in the bottom of a deep, medium sized casserole dish.
5 Next, sprinkle over half of the pomegranate seeds and top with the cranberry and mincemeat mixture.
6 Pour over the custard, making sure that the custard covers the rest of the ingredients evenly.
7 Lastly, top with the crumble mixture.
8 Place in the centre of the oven and cook for 40-45 minutes until golden brown on top.
9 Sprinkle over the toasted almonds and the remaining pomegranate seeds and serve with a jug of vegan single cream, such as Alpro.
RECIPE NOTES
RECIPE TIPS
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Very Fruity Fruit Cake
Posted on May 19, 2013 by The Gourmet Vegan - No Comments
Very Fruity Fruit Cake
Most people think of fruit cakes as a Christmas recipe but I think they are perfect at any time of the year. This version uses lots of dried fruit and is wonderfully rich and dense. Perfect when served with lashings of vegan custard. Enjoy.
| 190 Minutes |
Serves 6/8 |
? kcal per serving |
INGREDIENTS
4 cups ( 550 g ) plain flour
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
70 g vegan margarine, I use vitalite
55 g vegetable fat
900 g mixed peel ( Be sure to use a good quality product containing dried fruits, raisins and sultanas )
2 tablespoons dark agave nectar
1 cup brown sugar
80 g blanched almonds, chopped
1.5 cups soya milk
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius.
In a large bowl add the flour, butter and vegetable fat and rub until the mixture starts to resemble fine breadcrumbs.
Add all of the other ingredients and beat well to ensure the mix is thoroughly blended. It will be quite a heavy mixture.
Put the mixture into a lined and greased cake tin and scatter over a few more almonds for decoration.
Bake for 2 – 2.5 hours until the cake is firm and the almonds are slightly toasted.
Allow to cool slightly before serving. Can be served hot or cold.
RECIPE NOTES
This may seem like a long bake, but it is needed. Just be sure to keep an eye on the cake after the first hour and turn if needed.
RECIPE TIPS
This cake will keep for a good week if kept in a airtight cake tin.
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Balsamic Roasted Strawberries with Toasted Almond Crumble served with Rhubarb Coulis and a Vegan Creme Anglaise
Posted on April 18, 2013 by The Gourmet Vegan - No Comments
Balsamic Roasted Strawberries with Toasted Almond Crumble served with Rhubarb Coulis and a Vegan Creme Anglaise
This is the dessert of all desserts when you want to go all out and impress with something that tastes absolutely amazing. The flavour combinations are incredible and the textures bring this dish to life. It is actually quite simple to prepare as it is prepared in stages. Give this a try and you will see why this dish just has to make its way to your table.
| 60 Minutes |
Serves 4 |
? kcal per serving |
INGREDIENTS
For the strawberries
24 large strawberries
5 teaspoons agave nectar
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
For the crumble
1 cup plain flour
4 tablespoons vitalite or other vegan spread
2 tablespoons caster sugar
25 g flaked almonds
For the rhubarb coulis
125 g rhubarb, chopped
50 g sugar
100 ml water
1 vanilla pod, split length ways
For the creme anglaise
1 litre soya milk, unsweetened and unflavoured
100 ml vegan cream, i used alpro
80 g caster sugar
30 g cornflour
2 vanilla pods, split length wise
METHOD
Begin by preparing the strawberries but as they are roasting you can prepare the crumble and some of the other steps that follow.
preheat the oven to 140 degrees Celsius.
Place the strawberries on a foil lined baking tray. Mix together the agave and balsamic and pour over the strawberries.
Bake for 30 minutes, until the strawberries have softened but are still firm and there is a good layer of juice that has come out of the strawberries. Put to one side. Turn the heat to 180 degrees.
Prepare the crumble by placing the flour and vitalite into a bowl. Rubbing between your fingers, continue until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and almonds and mix well. Place on a foiled baking tray and put to one side. This will go into the oven once the strawberries have cooked. Cook for 15 minutes and then remove from the oven. Mash up the crumble with a spoon, mix well, place back in the oven for a further 15 minutes until golden brown.
Prepare the rhubarb coulise as follows.
Place all of the coulise ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and cook gently until you can mash the rhubarb with the back of a spoon. Put into a blender and blend until smooth. Put to one side, but if you want a smoother sauce you can pass it through a sieve before serving. Be sure to remove the vanilla pod.
Prepare the creme anglaise.
In a cup mix the cornflour with 4 tablespoons of the soya milk until no lumps remain.
Remove the seeds from the vanilla pods and place these, along with the pod and all of the other ingredients, including the cornflour mix, into a saucepan on a medium heat and cook until thickened. Pour into a jug to serve. Note that the creme anglaise will continue to thicken as it cools and so if it seems too wet, do not worry.
This dish can be served hot or cold. If you are serving hot, then you can prepare many of the stages in advance and just heat up as needed.
Plating up.
Place a layer of 6 strawberries on the plate, and cover with some of the juice. Place some crumble topping over the strawberries. Place a large spoonful of the rhubarb coulise on the side and serve with the creme anglaise.
Alternatively, layer it into a bowl and devour it.
RECIPE NOTES
RECIPE TIPS
THE VEGAN HOUSEHOLD PROUDLY SUPPORTS
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