A couple of Proper Puds

Apple Crumble and Luxury Bread and Butter Pudding recipes

Last week I launched Proper Puds in the Cake Shed. I’ve been waiting for Autumn to come as I’ve been itching to make some delicious classic, comfort desserts.

I started with a Classic Apple Crumble, and a not so classic version of Bread and Butter Pudding.

I was practically bought up on Apple (or Blackberry and Apple) Crumble. It was a staple pudding after Roast on a Sunday in our house. So, as you can imagine, this recipe is very close to my heart.

Nowadays I love my crumble best with a good vanilla custard, but when I was young (we’re talking the 1970’s here) my Mum would crack open a tin of evaporated milk to pour over the top and it was delicious!

Last week I also worked out all the facts and figures for the Apple Crumble to make sure I am making a good profit which can be found below if you missed my Instagram reel.

This newsletter has the Apple Crumble Recipe, free for everyone to enjoy. Then as a cheeky extra at the bottom for Upgraded Subscribers a Luxury Bread and Butter Pudding Recipe, made with the Almond Buns from last week.

I sold these puds in The Cake Shed and, apart from one bread and butter pudding, they sold out. I would have made more Apple Crumbles had I not run out of apples.

Did I make a profit?

Here are the figures for the Apple Crumbles:

• I made a total of 10 trays. My ingredients costs were £3.54, or 35p per tray.

• I bought the Trays from Amazon, I paid 26p each, including the little spoons.

• So, for me, the total per tray is 61p, plus overheads. I usually add 10% for overheads, giving a total cost of 67p each.

• I sold each tray for £2.50 each, which is the same as I charge for everything in The Cake Shed. So a total revenue of £25.00

• Therefore, for all 10, that's £18.30 after the cost of ingredients and packaging. Or £1.83 per tray.

• I also set aside money for taxes, put a % back into the business for profit, and then pay myself.

• I took 30 minutes to make them. After all costs, profit and taxes I got paid £15.55 for 30 minutes of work (£31.10 per hour).

• If I had made more as a batch, I anticipate it would have taken a little more time due to having to peel, chop, and portion the apples. I would say another 10 minutes for a batch of 20.

• If I hadn’t sold out or run out of apples, I could easily have frozen these. Therefore, making larger batches and freezing them for another weekend would increase the profits and wages even further.

Now….who wants the recipe?

---

Coming soon to the paid upgrade of Recipes from the Cake Shed:

Bakewell Layer Cake, Chocolate Orange Brownie and London Cheesecake

---

Classic Apple Crumble

Ingredient notes and substitutions after the recipe.

I made 8 trays with the recipe. Or it would fit well in a 9” square oven dish.

Ingredients

8-10 Apples. Peeled, Cored and Chopped into 1-2cm pieces
3tbspn Granulated Sugar
2tspn Ground Cinnamon
350gms (3 cups) Plain Flour
150gms (2/3 cup) Butter (you can also use baking spread)
100gms (1/2 cup) White Sugar (granulated or caster)

1. Preheat your oven to 160c fan, 180c, 350f, GM4

2. In a microwave proof bowl place the chopped apple, granulated sugar and cinnamon and mix together, coating the apples in the dry ingredients

3. Cook on high for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the apples are very slightly soft, and a little juice is beginning to come out. You can also do this in a saucepan on the hob. Cook on medium, stirring frequently. Do no allow the apples too become soft.

4. Spread the apple in the bottom of your baking dish (or individual dishes)

5. For the crumble place the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, and with a pastry cutter, cut and chop the ingredients until it resembles fine breadcrumbs (see video below). If you don’t have a pastry cutter you can use the tips of your fingers to rub the ingredients together to the desired texture. OR, if you have a food processor place all the ingredients in the bowl and blitz on short bursts until the desired texture

6. Sprinkle half of the mixture over the fruit

7. Lightly press down to compact the crumble mix

8. Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture on top and leave so it is loose and crumbly

9. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the crumble is the colour that you like best. If you are baking in a larger dish this may take a few minute longer.

10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes

11. Serve warm or cold with cream, ice-cream or custard. My preference is warm with custard, (but I do love crumble, the next day, straight from the fridge!)

Notes on Ingredients and Techniques

Fruit

This is a classic Apple Crumble, but you can use pretty much any fruit, so long as it can be baked successfully. A flavour I was bought up on was Apple and Blackberry. This week for the Cake Shed I also make plum crumble, using about 8 plums stoned and chopped. Rhubarb crumble is one of my husbands favourites, and I remember as a child my Nan had a gooseberry bush and we sometimes had Gooseberry Crumble.

With the apples, I like to use an eating apple as it already has a natural sweetness. You can use any apples whether its from a supermarket or homegrown on a tree, they will all taste delicious.

Sugar with the fruit

Use more or less depending on how sweet your apples are. Cooking (or Bramley) apples can be a little sour so I would advise adding a little more sugar to taste.

Spices in the fruit

I added cinnamon to my apples, as its a classic flavour. I also like plums with cinnamon. Add or omit spices depending on your tastes.

Flour

I used plain flour. Gluten Free flour also works well in this recipe as the texture is perfect from the crumble mix.

Butter

I used block butter but you can also use a baking spread or a plant based spread to make this recipe dairy free.

Sugar in the Crumble

I used a white granulated sugar, but you can use a caster sugar or even a light brown sugar if you prefer a more caramel flavour.

Making the Crumble

I love crumble but I used to hate making it. The classic way to make it is by rubbing the ingredients between the tips of your fingers and thumb. I would often get cramp in my fingers, and there is something I just don’t like about getting crumble mix under my nails.

That was until I discovered a pastry cutter. To use the cutter roll the blades into the butter and dry ingredients, moving the bowl around and chopping as you go. Eventually the mixture get a great texture and your fingers don’t have to go anywhere near it. (See video above)

I like to compress a little of the crumble onto the fruit. It makes a nice biscuit like layer that soaks up the juices of the fruit. I sprinkle the rest loosely on top to get a good crumbly texture.

Baking Times

I bake mine until the tops are beginning to turn brown. I like a few crunchy bits, but I don’t like it over done. The joy of this recipe is you bake it to your own preference.

Storage

This Apple Crumble will last in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days.

You can also re-heat it in the oven, at the same cooking temperature for 10-15 minutes, if you prefer it warm.

The joy of crumble is you can store it so many ways, including freezing it. You can freeze it assembled, but not baked. Or after you’ve baked it. For either way, cover it in cling film and tin foil and freeze it for up to 3 months.

If you’ve frozen it unbaked, defrost it in the fridge before baking it as above.

Now, especially for the Paid Upgrade Subscribers, a poshed up version of Bread and Butter Pudding…..

---

For more recipes and information follow me on Instagram (@daisycakeco) or buy my book ‘With Love and Buttercream’ available in Hardback, Paperback or on Kindle