I used to make really good crumble - but for some reason the ones I've made recently aren't crumbly. The crumble stays all powdery - I'm sure I'm putting enough butter in.

So what am I doing wrong?

Not sure really. Could you be over-rubbing it or is your butter not cold enough when you are adding it?

This happens to me sometimes. I think sometimes it's just bad luck. I've seen some recipes that recommend adding a tablespoon of water to the mix, to encourage some clumping, but I never do.

Try not over-rubbing, and as Baking Girl also says, make sure you use cold cubes of butter.

Not enough butter!

Is that important? That the butter is cold? I've just been using the butter I keep on the work top. Why does it need to be cold?


There's enough butter.

If the butter is at room temperature then it will just melt to a liquid grease when you start rubbing it in.

If it's fridge cold then you can squeeze it into little lumps with your fingers without it melting completely.

Which makes for good crumble for some reason.

Well that will explain it - curse this warm weather!
Thankyou.

i always use a fork to make the crumble..saves getting ya fingers all gooey with the mixture lol

I actually prefer my crumble a little powdery. I made one today, following a recipe, and it was too stodgy...

I thought the opposite to powdery would be crispy/crunchy, not stodgy.

was is a apple crumble or rhubbarb ?

I like both with custard poured on

Not sure who you were asking - mine was Apple and Blackberry .. from the garden.

oohh sounds nice.,, was asking you

A nice change is replacing half the flour with oats.

Oh here;s a thing. I like wholemeal crumble - but I'm never sure if you still need to sieve. If I sieve wholemeal I end up with husks in the sieve ... then I never know whether to add them or throw them away.

edit : btw just ordinary porridge oats?

I'd add them back in - husks are the whole point (no pun intended) of wholemeal flour, aren't they?
Yes, sorry - rolled oats or porridge oats.

you've homemade white

Crushed up weetabix are good too

and chopped nuts

I was just about to post this.

Made an apple crumble yesterday. Was just about to make the topping when I realised there wasn't enough flour left as I had just used it making the yorkie puds!

So used some oats to bulk it out, was lovely!

Would have used nuts too but my granddad hates nuts.

Got some left actually, might have to have another bowl now.

A good crumble mix, I've even made shortbread biscuit with this;

10oz flour
6oz butter
4oz demerara sugar in the mix and another 2oz on top

then when its cooked pour some hot custard ontop..ohh i could eat some now

What's with the custard obsession, Orangemaid?
Are you on a diet at the moment?

Or do you work for Birds?

That's a lot of sugar!

Well, it tasted lovely! It is a dessert after all.