FRUIT CRUMB COFFEE CAKE..GLOBALLY ADJUSTABLE RECIPE

This is a fantastic recipe and can be made with all kinds of seasonal fresh fruit.
It is an adapted recipe from the 1970's and you may use good frozen and defrosted fruit too.
Please avoid canned pie fillings as they are full or chemicals and too much liquid.

This makes a 13 x9 x 2inch pan/ovenproof glass dish  and the pieces are cut into squares served as a cake for coffee or pudding with ice cream, custard sauce or cream.

You may use, any combination of:

Cored and chopped apples or pears
Peeled and chopped bananas
Stoned and chopped stone fruits (peaches, nectarines, plums & etc.)
Peeled and chopped oranges, tangerines and grapefruit
Peeled and chopped pineapple, mango
Washed and sliced berries
Washed and pitted cherries
Peeled and chopped rhubarb

METHOD:
FRUIT FILLING:
4 cups chopped fresh fruit
1 cup water or apple juice
2tsp lemon juice
1 cup sugar

Bring the fruit to a boil and then simmer gently for 5 mins.
Add the lemon juice and sugar and cook until sugar dissolves.
Mix 2-3 tbsp cornstarch/cornflour/arrowroot with  a little water and add to the fruit mix,stir to thicken and remove from heat and allow to cool.

Preheat oven 350F middle shelf

THE CAKE:
3 cups all purpose flour (or 50:50 mix with whole wheat*)
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2-3 tsp any mixed spices of choice, cinnamon, nutmeg,ginger, cloves, allspice, cardamon
Mix well together then cut in
1 cup butter or margarine to form "crumbs".


In another bowl, beat together
2 large eggs
1 cup milk (nut milk is fine..if using 50:50 add an extra 1/2 cup milk)
1-2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
Add this to the flour mix and blend in well.

Spread half the batter over a greased pan.
Cover this with the cooled fruit mix
Then top with spoonfuls of the remaining batter, covering as much of the topping without stirring it in.


Mix together
 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup any chopped nuts (optional)
again to form crumbs

Sprinkle this over the top of the dish.
Bake on a lined cookie sheet for 45-50 mins, or until cakes tests done.

Remove from oven and cool in pan on wire rack, cut into squares when cool/room temp