Banana Crumble with Homemade Custard

This is 29 Acacia Road, and this is Eric the schoolboy who leads an amazing double life. For when Eric eats a banana an amazing transformation occurs. Eric is Bananaman. Ever alert for the call to action! (Bananaman: TV series 1983-1986)

Banana Crumble

I was fortunate enough to be given some vanilla pods for Christmas. I had seen them being used before on television and couldn’t wait to split those pods open and scrape out the seeds. My next thought was what shall I make. I had some double cream leftover from making truffles, ripe bananas that needed using and some ground almonds that were fast going out of date. And what does this all make I hear you ask?! It can only be a delicious banana crumble with homemade custard!!!

(4 portions)

Ingredients

2- 3 bananas
75gr. plain flour
25 gr. butter
25 gr. oats
35 gr. ground almonds
2 tbsp. caster sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. all spice
For the custard:
280 ml tub of double cream
1 vanilla pod, split in two and seeds scraped out
3 egg yolks
1 tsp. corn flour
1 tbsp. caster sugar

Method

1. In a large bowl rub together the plain flour and butter until it becomes a breadcrumb texture.
2. Add the oats, ground almonds, caster sugar, cinnamon and all spice, then stir until it is all well incorporated.
3. Preheat oven Gas 6/ 200 C
4. In a small pie dish (15- 20cm diameter) chop up 2- 3 bananas and cover the base of the dish.
5. Sprinkle on the crumble mixture and make sure it is fully covered. You may have a little bit of mixture leftover.
6. Place into the oven for 20 minutes or until it has got a golden colour on top.
7. While the crumble is in the oven, pour the cream into a saucepan.
8. Split the vanilla pod in two and scrape out the seeds, then add the seeds and the pod to the saucepan.
9. On a low heat, warm up the cream up until near boiling point.
10. In a large measuring jug add the egg yolks, cornflour and caster sugar and whisk together.
11. Once the cream is ready, take out the vanilla pod.
12. Gradually add the cream to the egg yolks (just add a little bit to start off with so the mixture doesn’t scramble)
13. Once all the cream has been added, pour back into the saucepan.
14. On a low to medium heat, stir the custard until it thickens. Don’t let the mixture boil.
15. You will know the custard is ready when the custard coats the back of a spoon.

Suzy Says:

• The all spice adds a real flavour kick. Feel free to experiment with others.
• Baileys truffles are a great use of any spare cream…or it’s a good excuse to make them at the very least!