Apple and Custard Crumble

First make the crumble. Put the flour in a large mixing bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips to make a coarse crumbly mixture. Stir in both the sugars, the spices and lemon zest.

Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan until almost boiling. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the cornflour and caster sugar in a heatproof bowl. Pour the hot creamy milk over the egg yolks and whisk together. Return to the washed-out pan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Stir in a good grating of nutmeg and the cloves, then pour into a jug.

Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Mix together the apples, lemon juice and brown sugar and tumble into a 1.2 litre ovenproof dish. Pour the custard over the apples and give the dish a wiggle to make sure the custard settles to the bottom. Scatter the crumble mixture evenly over the top. Place in the heated oven and bake for about 50 minutes until the crumble is golden brown and the custard has set. Serve hot.