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READY TO CRUMBLE
The Independent
|February 21, 2026
Chef Ryan Riley shares the recipe for his favourite comfort dish - sweet and sour apple crumble with sweet basil cream
There’s nothing better than a crumble to bring joy to colder months.
For me, it’s a pudding for thick socks and darker skies. This version, bright with tamarind and laced with cardamom, is the foundation for warming the soul.
It starts, as all good crumbles do, with apples, peeled, chopped small, and cooked gently on the hob with a splash of water, a teaspoon of vanilla paste, a hint of sugar, and the tamarind, which brings that sharp-sour note that cuts through the sweetness beautifully.
A pinch of cardamom - a quiet spice that never shouts - warms everything up from the inside. While that softens, you rub butter into flour with a touch of caster sugar and a teaspoon of ground fennel seeds. This is your crumble topping and it's beautiful: a little herbal, a little earthy, and all the better for it.
This story is from the February 21, 2026 edition of The Independent.
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