Ryan Riley recipe for joy: Sweet-and-sour apple crumble with sweet basil cream

To get us through the most miserable months, every week chef Ryan Riley will share a recipe from his collection of go-to favourites for comfort and joy. On his small pleasure menu this week is Sweet-and-sour apple crumble with sweet basil cream LifestyleFood and DrinkRecipeRyan Riley recipe for joy: Sweet-and-sour apple crumble with sweet basil creamTo get us through the most miserable months, every week chef Ryan Riley will share a recipe from his collection of go-to favourites for comfort and joy. On his small pleasure menu this week is Sweet-and-sour apple crumble with sweet basil creamFriday 20 February 2026 01:08 ESTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoverRyan Riley ( Craig Robertson )Your support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreThere’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.Spoon the apple mixture into a shallow oven dish, scatter over the crumble and bake until golden and bubbling. Pop it in for 20 minutes or so at 180C. While it bakes, turn your attention to the cream. Basil leaves and golden sugar are blitzed to a fragrant green dust, stirred gently through softly whipped cream until it’s sweet, aromatic, and just the right amount of unusual.Spoon the crumble into shallow bowls, scatter with lemon zest, and serve with the basil cream on the side. It’s soft and crunchy, sweet and tart, familiar and brand new all at once, it’s a dessert that feels just right, whatever the season.RecommendedRyan Riley recipe for joy: Black olive, feta and honey twistsRyan Riley’s recipe for joy: Cauliflower and potato coconut curryRyan Riley’s recipe for joy: Kimchi salmon with ginger greens‘I help cancer patients enjoy food again, but I have never properly grieved for my own mum’Serves 22 eating apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 1cm pieces2 teaspoons tamarind paste1 teaspoon ground cardamom1 teaspoon vanilla paste1 teaspoon caster sugarFor the topping2 tablespoons caster sugar45g plain flour1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds30g unsalted butter, chilled and chopped1 lemon, zested, to decorateFor the sweet basil cream10 basil leaves2 tablespoons goldencaster sugar100ml double creamPreheat the oven to 180C/160C fan.Place the apples, tamarind, cardamom, vanilla, sugar and a splash of water in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Cook for 4–6 minutes, until the apples are soft.To make the topping, in a bowl, work the sugar, flour, ground fennel and chilled butter together with your fingertips, rubbing until the mixture resembles rough breadcrumbs.Put the apple mixture into a medium-sized ovenproof dish (about 20–25cm diameter), top it with the crumble mixture in an even layer and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the top has turned golden brown and the filling is bubbling.Meanwhile, make the sweet basil cream. Make a basil sugar by pulsing the basil leaves and sugar in a food processor until just combined. Set this aside while you whip the cream to soft peaks.Then, gently fold 1 tablespoon of the basil sugar through the cream until evenly combined. (You can store the remaining basil sugar for another dish; it will keep for up to three days in an airtight container, although it may lose some of its vibrant colour – but not its flavour – in that time).Scatter the lemon zest over the warm crumble, then serve in spoonfuls with sweet basil cream on the side.More aboutpuddingDessertRecipeApplesSugarSpiceBasilCreamJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesCommentsMost popularPopular videosBulletinRead next