Bramble & Apple Crumble

A seasonal burst of fruity goodness all wrapped up in a sweet, crunchy top, Apple & Bramble Crumble is one of the most distinctive tastes of my childhood. One spoonful and I'm five years old, skipping along beside my old Grandad with a wee bucket for our bounty. 

Our favourite spot was down by the River Almond near Huntingtower, on a path that sadly is no longer there. We'd pick brambles and red currants for my Nana to turn into crumbles and pies, both heaped with enough sugar to make a dentist wince. 

At this time of year there was plenty of both, and the brambles were always mixed in with tart cooking apples from the orchard at the Big House. I was never a fan of custard, and instead would heap piping-hot stewed fruit into my bowl before cooling it down with vanilla icecream blocks from Walls (it was the seventies!).  

So emotional is my pull to this happiest of happy comfort foods, I almost had a wee bubble when Gill sent this week's pics through. Instead, I let myself be reminded at how how blessed I was to have spent my childhood days surrounded simply by nature, good food and wonderful people who loved me.  

The Scottish Bramble : An Autumnal Beaut

The Bramble - or Blackberry for non-Scots -  is one of nature's most undervalued berries.  The leaves have long since been used as a tea for a variety of ailments - old wives tales tell us that mouth ulcers, gingivitis, sore throats, colds and flu are all made easier with Bramble tea. 

The recipe is from The Cottage kitchen by Marte Marie Forsberg.