No guilt berry crumble

The other night I had a desperate craving for a pudding but all I had was some vanilla ice cream and a few store cupboard essentials. I was determined not to head out and buy a pudding after I'd eaten (a slippery slope I fear) so whipped up some mini crumbles in 10 minutes all out of ingredients I had in my cupboard. These mini puddings will satisfy your sweet tooth without leaving you feeling guilty and bloated...

Ingredients

Frozen berries / whatever fruit you have around

1 tbsp oats

2 tbsps white flour (plain or self raising)

1 tbsp butter or margarine

2 tsps sugar (I prefer brown)

Amaretti biscuits (optional)

Vanilla ice cream or cream to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade
2. Blend the butter, four and oats together in a bowl with your fingers until the mixture is crumbly. If it feels a bit dry and powdery add a little butter, if it is very moist add a little flour
3. Stir in the sugar and 3 amaretti biscuits (if using, I just happened to have them in the cupboard)
4. Place the fruit into little glass or ceramic ramekins and sprinkle the crumble topping on top. Don't press the crumble down too much or it will be too hard when it comes out of the oven
5. Sprinkle a little sugar and oats on the top
6. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling and the top is browned. Serve with ice cream and a tea spoon!

If you have some plums, apples or pears in the fruit bowl that are going a little soft you can use these in combination with berries on their own. These fruits work well with a little cinnamon which is a natural sweetener so you can use less sugar. Raisins or other dried fruits can also be added.

I use little glass ramekins that you buy 'Gu' puddings in. These work really well!

To make a super healthy version, swap the flour for brown flour and use more oats, minimise the fat used and add margarine instead of butter. Half the sugar added and add a little honey or cinnamon to the fruit to sweeten it naturally. Serve with yogurt for a pudding so virtuous it can hardly be called pudding.

I like this recipe as it affords some portion control over pudding size, is very quick and doesn't require lots of special ingredients. Enjoy!