Welcome, September! That’s what I tell myself when I’m not too depressed about the coming shorter days, damper mornings and the growing chill in the air. But when autumn comes bearing juicy plums and tart greengages, not even I can bemoan the loss of summer.

To keep those chilly evenings at arms length, nothing spells comfort quite like a humble crumble. Except there’s nothing humble about this dessert, as simple and as quick as it is to put together. You just gotta let the fruit shine through. And the great beauty of this dessert? You can substitute the plums for whatever you have handy, or better yet, whatever is in season.

To make this queen of the autumn pud, you’ll need:
550g plums
200g greengages
2 – 4 tablespoons caster sugar, depending on the sweetness of the fruit
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
100g plain flour
70g butter, cold
40g porridge / rolled oats

Preheat the oven at 180C.
Halve and pit the fruit, then place in a deep, oven-proof dish.
Sprinkle sugar on top. Add the vanilla paste and toss together.
In a separate bowl, rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the oats and combine, then spoon over the fruit.
Place in oven and bake for 40 – 45 minutes, or until top is golden and fruit is bubbling underneath.
Serve warm, with a nice scoop of vanilla ice-cream on the side, or bathed in some scrumptious double cream

Enjoy,
Alexis xxx