Banana & Pomegranate Custard Crumble

I had two very exciting things happen today - my Quirky Cooking Facebook Page reached 1000 followers (thank you lovely people!!), and I received a special package in the mail - a gigantic, beautiful pomegranate from Royal Pom! 

I noticed a week or two ago that Royal Pom were offering free samples, so I eagerly took them up on it. I don't remember ever eating fresh pomegranate before - maybe I have, since my mum loves them - but I can't imagine that I'd forget that mouth-watering, tangy, juicy, burst of flavour! Wow!

I hadn't had time to check out pomegranate recipes yet, but I couldn't wait! I cut it open and tasted it, and decided to make a quick banana custard with crumble topping, with some pomegranate arils sprinkled over the top to jazz it up. The tart, juicy arils remind me of shiny, red jewels that 'pop' in your mouth. They are a perfect foil for creamy bananas and custard, and crunchy crumble topping. Such a simple dessert, yet very satisfying. :)

First make the crumble topping.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

1.  Mix together in the Thermomix on speed 5 for 10 seconds:
- 250g gluten free flour
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 110g butter or macadamia oil
- 100g Rapadura (or less if you like)
- a handful of raw almonds (optional)

(Or for a very simple crumble topping, mix equal amounts of flour, oats/quinoa flakes, and butter/macadamia oil, plus some Rapadura to sweeten.)

2. Crumble the mixture onto a baking paper lined tray and bake for 10-15 minutes at 180C, until lightly browned and crispy. Set aside to cool.


While the crumble is cooking, make the custard. You can use whatever custard recipe you prefer, but here's two options for dairy free, gluten free custards. The banana-chia custard is also egg-free.

Rice-Almond Milk Custard:

Place all ingredients in the Thermomix and cook at 90 degrees, 7 minutes, speed 4:
- 500g rice-almond milk
- 60g Rapadura
- 30g cornflour or arrowroot
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
- 1 egg yolk + 1 egg (or 1 or 2 eggs, depending on size)*
- You can also add a tablespoon or two of butter (if you can have it) to make it creamier

Egg-Free Banana Chia Custard:

Grind together for 15 seconds on speed 9:
- 100g raw cashews
- 30g white chia seeds
- 30g gf cornflour

Add and blend for 1 minute on speed 9:
- 550g water

Add and blend 20 seconds at speed 8:
- 50g honey
- 1 large banana quartered

Cook at 90C for 7 minutes, speed 4.


Put it together: Slice up 2 or 3 bananas and layer them on the bottom of your dessert dishes. Pour the hot custard over the top so the bananas are completely covered, then crumble up some crumble mixture and sprinkle it over the top.

Top with fresh pomegranate arils.

That's it! So simple... enjoy!