Feijoa and Apple / Pear Crumble

There’s a very particular moment in the year at Vineyard Cottages when everything shifts.

The light softens, the evenings arrive just a little earlier, and suddenly the idea of a long lunch turns into a slow, fire-lit evening with something warm bubbling away in the oven. Autumn doesn’t ask for much… just a good blanket, a glass of local red, and something sweet that smells like home.

And here, in our little pocket of Kumeū, autumn is generous.

The apples are crisp and plentiful, the feijoas are dropping faster than you can keep up. They are not my favourite by any stretch of the imagination, but there is something about feijoa in this crumble I really enjoy. Every garden, including ours, seems to be offering up ingredients for something comforting and delicious. It’s the season of “what can I make with what I’ve got?” and the answer, more often than not, is crumble.

Now I’ll be honest crumble is one of those desserts that doesn’t need reinventing. It just needs doing properly. Big spoonfuls of soft fruit, just enough sweetness and topping that leans more towards crunchy, golden flapjack like clusters than politely sprinkled oats.

This Apple and Feijoa Crumble is exactly that. It’s nostalgic, a little bit rustic, and wildly satisfying.

Feijoa & Pear (or Apple) ANZAC Crumble

Serves 6–8

Ingredients

Fruit Base
5 pears or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 2–3cm chunks
1½ cups feijoa flesh, roughly chopped (about 11–12 feijoas)
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons golden syrup

ANZAC Crumble Topping
150g butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 cup oats
1 cup desiccated coconut
½ cup plain flour
¾ cup brown sugar or muscovado sugar

To Serve
Softly whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream

Equipment
Baking dish (approx. 16cm x 28cm)

Method

Preheat your oven to 170°C fan bake.

Start with the fruit. Add the pears or apples, feijoas, water and golden syrup to a large pot. Cook gently over a medium heat for about 8–12 minutes, until the fruit is just tender but still holding its shape. Set aside to cool in its juices,this is where all the flavour builds.

For the crumble, melt the butter with the golden syrup in a large pot or in the microwave. Once melted, stir in the oats, coconut, flour and sugar until everything is well combined. You’re looking for a mixture that holds together in soft, chunky clumps,this is what gives you those irresistible crunchy bits on top.

Spoon the fruit into your baking dish, including all those lovely juices. Scatter the crumble generously over the top, letting it fall into rustic clusters.

Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the top is golden and crisp.

Serve warm, straight from the dish, we doused ours in ice cream but custard and cream are just as good.