English Cottage Garden Gooseberry and Lavender Crumble

A traditional English cottage garden gooseberry crumble, but with lavender added; lavender goes so well with gooseberries, which are one of my favourite fruits. My grandparents used to specialise in numerous varieties of goosberries - and, I remember playing amongst the bushes when I used to go and stay with them, in their very old cottage in Northumberland, England! Happy memories - especially my grandmother's gooseberry crumble! This is based on my grandmother's crumble recipe - but, with my addition of the lavender.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 1 Large Crumble

Ingredients

• 400  g gooseberries, washed and prepared
• 100  g plain flour
• 50  g butter
• 50  g demerara sugar
• 50  g oats

• LAVENDER SYRUP

• 1  teaspoon  dried lavender flowers
• 85  g caster sugar
• 2  pieces lemon rind (2 thin strips)
• 100  ml water
• 2 -4  drops  lavender oil, cooking essence (to taste)

Directions

1. Make the lavender syrup by placing all the ingredients in a small pan and stirring until the sugar is dissolved while bringing it to boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to cool. Add lavender essence.
2. Place the gooseberries in a 3 pint pie dish or other oven proof dish. Remove the lemon rind from the syrup and pour the syrup over the gooseberries.
3. Make the crumble. Place the flour in a bowl and add the butter in small pieces. Using your finger tips mix the butter with the flour until crumbly. Stir in the sugar and the oats.
4. (The crumble can be made in a food processor if you wish.).
5. Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the gooseberries and bake in 180C/375F/gas 4 for about 30 minutes, or until the cumble topping is golden brown and the fruit is just starting to seep up around the edges.
6. Serve warm with lavender ice cream, cream or yoghurt.
7. NB: This dish can be made with rhubarb instead of gooseberries and tastes just as nice.