Just the other day I was offered some rhubarb out of the boot of a work colleagues car.
For anyone that knows me, if it’s free I’ll make use of it and enjoy it even more knowing that it’s cost me nothing. It’s the mend and make-do philosophy innately ingrained in my psyche. In this case the immediate thought of mouth watering apple and rhubarb crumble with custard that entered my head as soon as my work colleague opened the boot of his car to display his mountain of rhubarb, absolutely solidified this transaction and if he had, at that moment changed his mind, there is no doubt that I would have grabbed an armful and made a run for it.
Today I made the crumble. I made a portion for everyone, I even made a small dish for my work colleague.
It’s been forever since I’ve baked a proper British pudding and every spoonful that entered my mouth was accompanied by sounds of wanton desire that were slightly obscene. There is something wrong with a pudding if it’s consumer doesn’t groan a little…
Here is the authentic WW2 recipe. Enjoy and groan a little yourself…
Apple and Rhubarb Crumble
Filling:
1 lb rhubarb
1 lb tasty apples
2 tablespoons of golden syrup or 2 oz sugar
Topping:
7 oz plain flour
3 oz oats
3 oz margarine or butter
3 oz sugar for topping
1 oz of light brown sugar to sprinkle on top
pinch of salt
Method:
Wipe the rhubarb and cut into small pieces. Simmer in a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of water for about 10 minutes until cooked.
Slice the apples into small pieces. Simmer in a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of water for about 5 minutes until cooked.
Mix rhubarb and apple together when cooked and mix in the golden syrup or sugar.
Grease a pie tin and spoon in the mixture.
Place plain flour, pinch of salt, 3 oz sugar and 3 oz of butter or margarine (in small pieces) into a bowl together.
Rub between fingers to create a breadcrumb like mixture and spoon over the top of the stewed fruit thickly.
Sprinkle with the brown sugar.
Place in an oven at around 170 C for 20 minutes until golden brown.
Serves 6.
Serve with custard.
And as well as eating apple and rhubarb crumble for my dinner I also took some photographs from my garden this afternoon. I picked some of the herbs I grew last year and took photos of the most beautiful dragonfly (I’ve been told its a Migrant Hawker)…it was too beautiful not to share.
PS: It’s good to be back…
The 1940's Experiment 
It’s nice to have you back Caroline, I missed you x
This recipe sounds lovely I may have to do it this week, thank you x
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Aww thank you. It really was delicious. I’ve not been baking anything like this for ages so it was a real treat xxx
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Oooh that sounds delish! (and yes a pudding should be slightly “orgasmic!”)
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Hahahah ohh yesss! I’ve been giving puddings a miss for a while so the groaning when eating this really did sound obscene! 😀
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Awesome! You have been missed
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Thank you ❤ My life has been so busy… it so hard to find time cook and blog properly which is a shame as it’s one of my passions. xxxx
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I love this. I make it often and I put the oats in the crumble topping too! I use custard in winter and homemade ice cream in the summer which is very easy to make but of course won’t figure in a 1940s diet! Heaven in a bowl!
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Oh gosh, ice cream would have been perfect today as it was warm and sunny! xxxx
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So glad you’re back! And this is very timely – I have a LOT of rhubarb in the garden!
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Oh you lucky thing!!!! 🙂 xxxx
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Oh what a nice surprise to open the computer and find Carolyn has Blogged!! missed your stories/pictures etc Carolyn.
ann lee s, Vancouver island, BC Canada
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Awwww thank you xxxx Such a lovely welcome back, thanks so much Ann xxxx
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What a pleasant surprise to see you had posted on my blog reader. I’m an ice cream person on my crumbles, I hadn’t thought about pudding or custard topping.
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I remember my grandmother making this every spring, it was so very good! Missed you!
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Looks lovely So very glad to see you!! I love rhubarb but it doesnt grow well here in Oklahoma.
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So glad to have you back blogging, Carolyn! I hope to find some rhubarb this weekend at the Farmer’s Market. Wanna guess what I will be making? 🙂
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Hope you are well, Carolyn – missing your IG photos these last few days. Best wishes & thinking of you across the miles.
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Woo-hoo! So glad you’re back–it’s like Christmas in July.
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If like me you do not have a sweet tooth then only add a little sugar to the crumble mix or leave out altogether. You will not miss it if the fruit is adequately sweetened to your taste. You save some calories too!
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