Apple Crumble

Before I got bitten by the dessert making bug four years ago, my mum used to regularly make killer apple crumbles. We couldn’t get enough of them! But since I took over in the dessert department, my mum’s barely got a look in!

Well, the weather’s suddenly turned cold down here in the South Pacific, and I’ve got a hankering for some warm, comfy puddings. And, it occurred to me that we hadn’t sampled one of mum’s apple crumbles in the longest time. So I begged her for her recipe… well, not HERS precisely… but one she’s claimed as her own! Finally she relented.

The secret to this delectable little crumble, is the crumble itself – one apparently that won some ‘best of’ award somewhere along the line, though the source has long been forgotten. And, it has to be said that it really is spectacular in all its crisp, buttery deliciousness – made better, I think, by the addition of some coconut to give it a little texture.

The tart green apples, picked straight off my tree, are cooked in brown sugar to ensure a deliciously caramelized flavour, along with a good hit of cinnamon – the perfect partner to apples as far as I’m concerned.

Trust me, don’t bother waiting for cold weather to try this baby out – she’s good any time of the year! Enjoy!

Apple Crumble

 

Save Print

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

For the apple filling:

• 6 large (or 8 small) granny smith (or tart green) apples, peeled, cored, cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1-2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3-1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar, depending how tart your apples are

For the crumble:

• 100g (3/4 cup) standard flour (or you could use buckwheat flour for G/F option)
• 1/3-1/2 cup raw sugar (or granulated sugar), to taste
• 1/3 cup desiccated coconut
• Pinch of salt
• 100g (3.5 oz) unsalted butter, melted

To serve:

• Custard, whipped cream or ice cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (360°F).

For the apple filling:

1. Combine apple wedges, lemon juice, cinnamon and sugar in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Cook, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes or until apples are only just tender.
2. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer apples to a 6 cup-capacity ovenproof dish, or 6 cup-sized ramekins - place on a baking tray with sides to capture any juices. Drizzle over the remaining juices evenly amongst the ramekins.

For the crumble:

1. Place the flour, brown sugar, coconut and salt in a medium sized bowl and stir together with a fork. Add the melted butter and stir together until it resembles cookie dough.
2. Spread the crumble* in one flat layer (or crumble) over top of the partly cooked apples and place in oven for 40 minutes, or until the crumble is golden brown and the apple juices are bubbling.
3. Take out of oven and place on wire rack. If serving hot, serve immediately with custard, whipped cream or ice cream. Alternatively, can be served warm, or at room temperature.
4. Stores well in fridge, and makes a delicious cold treat the next day!

Notes

If using individual ramekins, I weigh the full amount of crumble, then divide it by the amount of ramekins. This ensures an equal amount of crumble per serving.

3.5.3208

Food Photography Info: Canon 550D (EOS Rebel T2i); Sigma 30mm 1.4 DC ‘Art’ lens / Natural lighting