it's a pie AND a crumble!

The other day I stumbled across two gorgeous foodie blogs - Honey & Jam and Always With Butter. The kind of blogs where you want to make and consume everything you see on the first page. So this weekend I decided to have a go at my own version of Julie's strawberry skillet pie. I didn't have strawberries, or a skillet, but I did end up with an amazing pie.

Fruit crumble pie

Ingredients

For the shortcrust pastry

8 oz plain flour
4oz baking margarine
tsp salt
tsp sugar
2-4 tbsp cold water

For the fruit filling

2-2.5lbs fruit (the mushier the fruit (like raspberries) the more you need
2-3 tbsp cornflour (this is ESSENTIAL)
4-6 oz caster sugar (depending on sweetness of fruit used, and your own preferences)
3 tbsp quick-cooking tapioca (optional)
pinch of salt

For the streusel/crumble topping

2 oz sugar
2 oz plain flour
3 oz porridge oats
3-4 oz butter

Method

Make your shortcrust pastry by whizzing the flour, salt, sugar and butter together in a food processor until it looks like coarse crumbs. Whiz in the water a tbsp at a time - when you can form a ball of dough with your hands, enough water has been added (be careful not to add too much water). Form the dough into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and leave to chill in the fridge for at least half an hour. 

When the dough's chilled, roll it out to slightly bigger than your pie dish (this recipe fits a 9 inch diameter dish) and line the dish with it, making sure to push the dough right into the edges and creating a thicker overhanging rim round the sides.

Chop up your fruit into chunks that are about the same size as small/medium strawberries. In a bowl, toss the fruit with the cornflour (don't skimp on the cornflour if you're using particularly juicy fruit, as this pie gets JUICY), sugar, salt and tapioca (if using). Fill your pie with the fruit mixture - don't worry about overfilling it, the fruit should be higher than the pie crust and peak slightly in the middle.

To make the streusel/crumble topping, in a large bowl stir together your oats, flour and sugar. Using your fingers, roughly rub in the butter until you have a crumbly, clumpy mixture that's a bit like flapjack mix. Sprinkle this over the top of your pie.

Bake for 1 - 1.5 hours until the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling. 

It's easier to serve if you leave it to cool for a couple of hours because it sets slightly. But I prefer it straight out of the oven, warm, messy and homely, falling apart in the dish. Instant autumnal goodness.

Enjoy!