I have mentioned Mrs Anne Bramdeo in my Curry Me Home recipe book and in a few blogs. She is just one of those people who you carry in your heart! If I had to count my blessings on a quiet day…she would feature as one of my greatest!

Now, about Anne Bramdeo…she taught me how to make mealie meal rotis and convinced me to stop using an AMC pot lid to get them perfectly round. She also showed me how to smock, make chilli pickle and how to keep your spice rack in order. When I am in her company, I feel happy and content…close to twenty years later – I am certain that it is one of those soul mate connections that we share.

Anne Bramdeo loves dates…when I last visited her she enthused about ‘date jam’. I hunted high and low – but there was no date jam to be found at the supermarkets…I think I should have a quiet word with Pat Tarr from Broadacres Superspar about this. By the way, I did take Mrs Tarr a chunk of this crumble and she says I should get a ‘WARNING’ because it was so moreish!

I set out to perfect a date jam and tweaked the recipe just before the Sugar ‘n Spice ‘Feast of Eid’ show. I added a pinch of cardamom and a handful of pistachios. I used the home-made jam to zhoosh up an old-fashioned crumble! I am delighted to share this with you and say that this recipe like so many others was inspired by a very special lady who I fondly call Aunty Anne!

Tune into DSTV’s Saffron TV on Channel 195 to catch the show…

Saturday 27th July –Eps 1 & 2 at 3pm….repeat at 8pm

Sunday 28th – Eps 3, 4 and 5 at 1pm …Eps 6 & 7 at 2pm – music break in between…repeats at 6pm and 6.30pm

Daily from Monday 29th at 7.30 pm…2 eps back to back…repeats daily at 8am, 12pm and 4pm.

PS – Anne Bramdeo turns 70 next month and I am hoping to pop to Durban to visit her on this special day…Maybe, I could make her this date crumble?

Here is the recipe…

Date Crumble:

Date Jam

500ml cold water
500ml sugar
500ml chopped dates
5ml ground cardamom
45ml fresh lemon juice
125ml pistachios

Dissolve the sugar and water in a 24cm AMC pot.
On a medium heat, stir the solution until the sugar crystals have dissolved.
Bring the solution to the boil and then add the chopped dates.
Simmer until the dates are soft and mushy.
To test the jam, place a little on a saucer.
Scrape the jam with a back of a teaspoon – there should be a visible line in the saucer.
Add the lemon juice and pistachios.
Stir well and leave to cool.

For the crumble:

Ingredients

250g Spar butter
45ml sugar
45ml Spar sunflower oil
5ml vanilla essence or vanilla paste
2 eggs
10ml baking powder
600ml – 700ml cake flour
Spar Icing sugar, to dust

Place the butter and sugar in a Kenwood Chef and cream until light and fluffy.
Add the sunflower oil and vanilla paste.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift 600ml cake flour and baking powder into the cream butter.
Use the dough hook to work the ingredients into a soft ball.
Add a little more flour if the dough is too soft.
Divide the dough into two portions.
Place one portion in the freezer to firm up.
Grease a 23cm loose bottomed pie tin and press half the dough over the base.
Spread the date jam over the base.
Grate the chilled dough directly over the jam.
Bake the crumble in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees celsius for 30 – 35 minutes or until it is golden brown.
Turn the crumble from time to time to ensure that it browns evenly.
Remove the crumble from the tin while it is still hot and dredge with layer of icing sugar.
Serve warm with a dollop of cream or ice cream.

Yudhika’s Tips:

I prefer to make this with real butter – what could be nicer? I am not oblivious to the cost of butter but I label myself a keen shopper so when I spot the Spar butter on special, I load up my trolley and avoid making eye contact with the other shoppers…I recommend this butter for baking and when on special it retails for R19.95 per 500g! What a win!

The Icing Sugar is also a Spar house brand! I like the resealable bag and it does not harden and become super lumpy….I sometimes cheat when making frosting and pop it into the Kenwood with out sifting it…I am a self-confessed lazy chef that hates washing up!