Jack's Apple and Blackberry Crumble

Jack is my 14 year old son, he learnt this recipe at school, but makes it all the time at home, and it always turns out very tasty (apart from when he forgot to put the sugar in), so it is a good recipe for both adults and children to try. It's great in the autumn when we go out picking fresh blackberries, and our neighbour gives us cooking apples from their tree.

YOU WILL NEED
For the stew; 4 large cooking apples - 50g sugar - 1 tbsp water - blackberries to taste - 1 tsp jACKrABBIT pudding spice.
For the crumble topping; 150g flour (sieved) - 100g sugar - 50g butter - 50g oats.
METHOD
1) Pre-set the oven to gas 4, 180C, 350F.
2) Place all the stew ingredients into a large saucepan and heat rapidly
3) Stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the apple goes soft
4) Place the stew in an oven dish - Place the flour and butter in a mixing bowl and rub together till crumbly
5) Add the sugar and oats and repeat
6) Place in the oven for 15 minutes - Serve with custard or ice cream.

Liquorice Tar Apples

It's coming up to toffee apples time, but for home baking, toffee apples are quite difficult to master (making anyway, I can eat them just fine), so an easier, and just as tasty, alternative are these liquorice apples. They are guaranteed to linger on your lips (literally), with added golden syrup to soften the licorice flavour, and sprinkles to add an extra sweet crunch.
YOU WILL NEED
 140g confectionary liquorice
2 tsp golden syrup, about 4 tbsp water
hundreds&thousands
4 apples and sticks.
METHOD
 Cut up the liquorice into very small pieces and place in a saucepan with 2 tbsp of the water. -- Heat gently on a medium-low heat, adding more water as the mixture becomes sticky, stirring continuously. -- As it is becoming like syrup, add the golden syrup, and keep stirring till the lumps melt. -- The best way to coat the apples is with a spoon, using the back to apply the liquorice to the apples, then leave to cool and harden a little before applying sprinkles (we also added Jelly Tots).

MAKING TOFFEE FOR TOFFEE APPLES
If you would like to try making toffee for toffee apples here is a recipe for making enough for about six apples.
YOU WILL NEED
110ml water
225g demerera sugar
0.5 tsp vinegar
2 tbsp golden syrup
25g butter
(wooden sticks for the apples)
METHOD
Place the water in a pan and dissolve in the sugar over a moderate heat. Once dissolved stir in the other ingredients. Bring to the boil and cook without stirring till it reaches the hard crack stage (300 F/144 C) and place in a sink or large bowl of cold water. Dip in the apples and allow to cool on a lightly greased tray before eating.