I'm sitting watching House of Cards. I haven't been out today, I have been plagued by a sinus headache. It seems too late in the year for it to be getting cold (still comparing seasons to Dunedin), but it finally is - my beanie isn't just because of my headache for once. I have been pecking at a baguette all day, slathering it with marinated feta. I don't know what's for dinner, haven't got anything out except a packet of defrosting pita breads which could lead me in one of two directions - pizzas with pita breads as the base, or some chickpea concoction. Some days dessert is easier.

Feijoa and Apple Crumble

adapted from Gordon Ramsay's apple crumble, and utilising Alison Holst's infallible crumble topping. Serves 6.

You will need:

• 3-4 granny smith apples, cut into chunks
• 6 feijoas, skins cut roughly off (peeling is such a tax) and cut into thirds
• 6 tbsp white sugar
• pinch cinnamon
• a scattering of dried cranberries (maybe half a cup)
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 3 cloves
• 1/2 cup water

For the topping:

• 1/2 cup white flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 75g butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• white chocolate buttons

Directions:

1. Place apples, feijoas, sugar, cinnamon, cranberries, lemon zest and juice along with lemon skins, water and cloves in saucepan and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes.
2. With a slotted spoon, remove apples and feijoas to the dish you will be using to put the pudding into the oven, which you should at this point begin preheating to 180 degrees celsius.
3. Boil the remaining liquid for a couple more minutes then (after removing cloves) pour over the fruit.
4. To make the crumble, measure the dry ingredients except for the rolled oats into a bowl.
5. Rub butter into dry ingredients until incorporated, then mix in oats.
6. Spread crumble topping on top of fruit and stud with white chocolate buttons.
7. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until crumble is golden.

This went down very well with my friends (so much going on - "are there feijoas in here??" "what are the red things?" "is there chocolate in it?"), who I served it to while we watched Game of Thrones. In the interest of complete honesty, I originally tried the crumble topping which was in Gordon Ramsay's recipe in Ultimate Cookery Course which was a total failure of sand like dust. The dish was saved by taking the fruit out of the oven, and putting Alison Holst's crumble on top. Feijoa and apple worked well, and the cranberries added interest. If you don't like tart fruit (granny smiths are my favourite) you might prefer to use a sweeter apple to counteract the also tart feijoas and dried cranberries.