Ingredients

• 50g/1¾oz blanched almonds
• 60g/2¼oz ‘00’ flour
• 40g/1½oz polenta
• 2 drops vanilla extract
• 350g/12oz caster sugar
• plus extra for cooking the fruit
• 75g/2¾oz butter
• chilled and diced
• 500ml/18fl oz whole milk
• plus a dash
• 1 vanilla pod
• split
• 6 free-range eggs
• plus 2 whites
• 75g/2¾oz plain flour
• 2 Bramley apples
• peeled and diced
• 1 lemon
• juice only
• 2 Cox’s apples
• peeled and diced
• 300g/10½oz raspberries

Directions

• Grind the almonds to a coarse texture in a food processor.
• Put the ground almonds
• ‘00’ flour
• polenta
• vanilla extract and 50g/1¾oz sugar in a bowl
• then roughly rub in the butter. Spread the mixture out on a baking tray
• cover and put in the fridge for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4.
• Bake the crumble for 10–20 minutes
• but check from time to time to make sure the edges aren't burning. Leave to cool
• then break up into crumble.
• Meanwhile
• pour the milk into a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan
• add the vanilla pod and bring to the boil.
• Separate the whole eggs and whisk the six yolks with 75g/2¾oz sugar in a large
• heatproof bowl. Stir in the plain flour to make a paste. Pour over the hot milk
• whisk well
• then return to the saucepan over the heat. Reduce the heat and cook gently for 5 minutes
• or until thickened. Pour into a bowl
• then cover and chill.
• Spoon 4 tablespoons of the cold custard into a small bowl and add a dash of milk to let it down. Set aside.
• Meanwhile
• cook the Bramley apples in a little water with a 100g/3½oz sugar and half the lemon juice
• until smashed to a purée. Cook the Cox’s apples in a little water with 50g/1¾oz sugar and the remaining lemon juice until soft but holding their weight.
• Spoon the apple puréeonto a plate
• cover with the softened diced apple
• scatter over the raspberries
• then spoon over the cold custard.
• Whisk the eight egg whites and the remaining 75g/2¾oz sugar in a clean
• glass bowl until thick. Stir in the reserved 4 tablespoons custard.
• Spoon the egg white mixture over the fruit and glaze using a blow torch. Sprinkle over some crumble mixture and serve.