Preheat the
oven to 350F, Gas 4. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and place in the
oven for 8-10 minutes, until evenly colored. Butter a 1.2 liter baking
dish. Put the plums into the dish and stir in the nuts and half of the
demerara sugar. Rub the butter or margarine into the flour until the
mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the remaining sugar and
continue to rub in until fine crumbs are formed. Cover the fruit with
the crumb mixture and press it down lightly. Bake the pudding for about
45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the fruit tender.
To make Oat
and Cinnamon Crumble, substitute rolled oats for half the flour in the
crumble mixture and add 2.5 - 5ml ground cinnamon. Walnuts add a lovely
crunch to the fruit layer in this crumble - almonds would be equally
good.
