There is a golden ratio to a baked fruit crumble, and it heavily favours the topping. For us at Father Rabbit, the best part of a crumble isn’t a delicate sprinkling of oats - it’s the beautifully chunky texture that gets crisp and golden on top, while staying beautifully tender underneath.

This recipe keeps the sweetness restrained, letting the bright, tart notes of the fruit balance the rich, buttery crunch of the topping. We’ve scaled this for our Spanish terracotta cazuela, making it the ultimate comforting weekend dish for two. If you’re using a larger family-sized dish instead of our 20cm cazuela, simply double both the fruit and the topping measurements. The method stays exactly the same, just keep an eye on the oven, as a larger dish may need an extra 5 to 10 minutes until it’s bubbling and golden.

Ingredients (Scaled for a 20cm Cazuela)

Topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup soft brown sugar (packed)

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

A pinch of flaky sea salt

100g room temp unsalted butter, cubed

Optional: ⅓ cup sliced almonds or chopped walnuts

Fruit Base:

2 medium red or green apples (or 2 cups of your fruit of choice)

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp cornstarch (to thicken the juices)

1 tbsp maple syrup or honey

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C. Lightly butter your 20cm terracotta cazuela.

2. Crumble: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, sea salt, and nuts (if using). Add the cubed butter. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients. Pop into the fridge while you prepare the fruit base.

The Secret to the Chunks: Instead of rubbing it into fine breadcrumbs, squeeze the mixture together firmly in your hands to form large, cohesive clumps, then gently break them apart into big, irregular nuggets. 

3. Fruit Base: Dice or slice your fruit into uniform pieces. Toss the fruit directly into your cazuela with the lemon juice, cornstarch, maple syrup, tossing until evenly coated.

4. Assemble: Scatter the chilled crumble chunks evenly over the fruit, piling it high. Do not press it down; let the irregular mounds sit loosely so the heat can circulate and crisp up all the edges.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the fruit juices are bubbling lazily around the edges of the terracotta and the heavy crumble top is a deep, golden brown.

5.  Let the dish sit for 10 minutes out of the oven to allow the juices to settle. Carry the warm cazuela straight to the table, grab two spoons, and dive in. Serve with cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.