By The Green Parent
15th October 2021
Eating cherries regularly can boost your melatonin levels, regulate your sleep cycle and help relieve insomnia. In this fabulous crumble they are combined with oats, almonds and pumpkin seeds.
SERVES: 4
PREP: 15 minutes
COOK : 40–45 minutes
- 900g cherries, stoned
- 4 tbsp caster sugar
- 3 tbsp water
- 2 tsp cornflour
- a dash of lemon juice
- 3 tbsp flaked almonds
- crème fraîche or ice cream to serve
FOR THE CRUMBLE:
- 85g butter
- 150g plain flour
- 60g rolled oats
- 4 tbsp ground almonds
- 60g brown sugar
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
- Put the cherries, sugar and water in a saucepan over a low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes until the cherries are tender and release some of their juice.
- In a small bowl, stir the cornflour into a little of the cherry juices until smooth and free of lumps. Add to the cherries in the pan and stir with a wooden spoon until it starts to thicken. Add lemon juice to taste and spoon into a baking dish.
- To make the crumble, cut the butter into small pieces and rub into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the oats, ground almonds, sugar and pumpkin seeds. Sprinkle with two to three teaspoons of cold water and give it a stir to create some small clumps.
- Spoon the crumble over the cherries right up to the edge of the dish. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30–35 minutes until the crumble is crisp and golden brown and the fruit is bubbling around the edges. Serve hot with crème fraîche or ice cream.
Or you can try this ...
- Add some chopped walnuts or hazelnuts to the crumble mixture.
- Add some ground ginger or cinnamon to the crumble mixture.
- When cherries are out of season use apples or pears.
MORE INSPIRATION
READ Eat to Sleep by Heather Thomas and Alina Tierney to find more recipes to help you have a good night’s sleep
EXPLORE Alina’s nutrition content at outstandingnutrition.co.uk/blog
Heather is a cookery writer and editor. She has lived in the United States as well as Europe and has travelled extensively, eating her way around the world. She now lives in London.
