6. apple crumble

an apple-solutely delicious recipe

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

---

In case you missed last week’s Kitchen Diaries post, check it out here.

---

My Colombian neighbour across the road from me sent me a text to ask if I could make an apple crumble. I said I hadn’t made one before, but I could try. Next thing I know, she’s delivering nine, large, juicy red apples that she’s picked from her tree in the back garden. Her and I are often swapping dishes. I bake muffins or orange loaves, her favourite, and she offers her delicious Paella in return.

After making a fresh crumble for her, that same afternoon, my dad requested I make one for the family. So I did and over three days, he had it every night for dessert.

Apple season is one of the best because it’s such a diverse fruit that can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes - it can very easily satisfy sweet tooth cravings. You can’t really go wrong with a dish like this, you don’t need any specific type of apple and you can adjust the amounts of sugar to strike the right tangy balance for the filling. This dessert can easily include pears, rhubarb (which offers a slight sour quality to contrast the sugar) and berries. Alternatively, add different spices or nuts. Go wild.

The dessert tastes particularly delicious hot out of the oven with the caramelised apple juices bubbling around the crumble topping.

Apple Crumble

Ingredients

• 575g Bramley apples (3 medium apples), peeled, cored and sliced to 1cm thick

• 2 tbsp golden caster sugar

• 175g plain flour

• 1 tsp of ground ginger or cinnamon

• 110g golden caster sugar

• 110g cold butter

• 3 tbsp rolled oats

• 1 tbsp demerara sugar

Method

• Heat the oven to 190C/170 fan/gas 5.

• Toss 575g peeled, cored and sliced apples with 2 tbsp golden caster sugar and put in a 23cm round baking dish or a 20cm square dish.

• Put 175g plain flour, 110g golden caster sugar, and 1 tsp of ground ginger in a bowl with a good pinch of salt.

• Slice in 110g cold butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like moist breadcrumbs. Shake the bowl and any big bits will come to the surface – rub them in. Alternatively, pulse in a processor until sandy (don’t over-process).

• Add your oats and demerara sugar to give the crumble some texture.

• Pour the crumb mix over the apples to form a pile in the centre, then use a fork to even out.

• Gently press the surface with the back of the fork so the crumble holds together and goes crisp, then lightly drag the fork over the top for a decorative finish.

• Set on a baking tray and put in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden and the apples feel very soft when you insert a small, sharp knife. Leave it to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

---