Can you remember your first encounter with homemade fruit crumble?

Soft, sweet pieces of fruit infused with sugar and spices, topped with crumbly, buttery goodness.

The contrast in textures makes for a perfect marriage. Topped off with lashing of custard or ice-cream — simply put — it's sublime yumminess...

RECIPE: Fruit Crumble

Serves 4-6

5 medium-sized pieces of fruit - apple, pear, plum etc
1 bunch rhubarb, washed and cut into 5cm pieces
80g raw caster sugar
1 whole cinnamon stick

2 whole star anise

Crumble topping:
40g unsalted butter
60g plain flour
60g raw caster sugar

60g rolled oats

Preheat oven to 180C. Cut fruit into 1cm thick slices and pop in to a medium-sized saucepan with sugar and spices. Place over a moderate heat, and cook until fruit become soft but not mushy; this will take approximately 15 minutes. Add rhubarb pieces and cook for a further 3 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a 750ml-1 litre baking dish and set aside.

To make the crumble, put butter, flour and sugar into a clean bowl and, using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until mix resembles breadcrumbs. Add oats and mix through. Sprinkle crumble mix over fruit. Put baking dish on baking tray and put into oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until crumble mix starts to become golden and crunchy. Serve with lashings of custard or ice-cream.

Tip: Most fruits works for this recipe. I use whatever is in season and takes my fancy.