Winding down supplies this week and running low on almost everything, I used up the last of the butter on this welcome bowl of fruitiness. There is a definite chill in the air and plenty of seasonal fruit around, so a perfect time for crumble. Measurements are approximate.

Ingredients: Soft berry fruits like blackberries, blackcurrants, raspberries. Plums. Fresh or frozen are good. Hard fruits like apples and pears: enough in total to fill your cooking dish just over half way.

Topping: 100g rolled oats, 75g ground almonds, 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls of brown sugar, a small handful of raisins/chopped nuts, ~50 g butter, cubed, one egg, a large pinch of ground ginger, Jamaica allspice and or cinnamon.

Method: Wash and dry the fruit. Peel or stone/core if necessary. Cut up larger fruits (apples) into cubes, otherwise leave whole. Place in a thick cast iron pan and simmer without extra liquid on a medium to very low heat until the juices are running. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon – and turn down to the lowest setting for the final few minutes – you don’t want it to burn. Leave to cool.

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Meanwhile, put the oats, ground almonds, sugar and spices into a largish bowl and stir them together with a wooden spoon. Use your fingertips to rub in the butter until fully amalgamated (no butter lumps). Then thoroughly stir in the beaten egg. The mixture should clump together in different sized lumps. Drop these over the fruit compôte. Do not aim for even coverage. Cook in a hot (200 ^oC) oven until the topping is brown and the fruit is beginning to merge with it. Let it cool for as long as you can, then eat on its own, with cream or ice cream. Mmm.