This pudding is a favourite of my German god-daughter. She says she prefers it to rote Grütze because the oats make it less sweet.

If you want to make the crumble crunchier, you can try adding chopped, toasted hazelnuts; Ottolenghi suggests substituting some of the sugar for palm sugar which will result in a mix of gooey and crisp textures in the crumble. Ottolenghi also adds desiccated coconut, cacao nibs and coffee grounds!

You could always add in a little British cassis for good measure!

Recipe for blackberry caramel crumble

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 600g/1 lb 6 oz/ fresh or frozen blackberries
• 4 apples (eating, not cooking, Coxes would be good) peeled, cored and chopped
• 115g/⅔ cup soft brown sugar
• 125g/4 oz/½ a brick of butter
• 100g/4 oz/½ cup Demerara sugar
• 150g/5 oz/1½ cups porridge oats…or, on one occasion when I couldn’t find any oats I used an oat-heavy muesli and it was even better
• ½ tsp vanilla paste
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• 170 ml/¾ cup double cream

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
2. Heat the fruit and soft brown sugar together in a saucepan.
3. Cover, heat gently for about ten minutes, stiring occasionally.
4. Meanwhile melt the butter in a frying pan and add the Demerara sugar.
5. After a couple of minutes add the vanilla paste and the cinnamon, stir.
6. Add the oats, stir again.
7. Empty the fruit into a casserole and leave to cool.
8. Spoon the crumble evenly over the cooled fruit.
9. Bake for about 35 minutes.
10. Serve warm with the cream.