Apple Crumble

Written by McDonald, T.  |  Date 16th of October 2023

I learned to make this in my Nan's kitchen as a boy.  It is so easy to make and yet yields such splendid results.  It takes little time to prepare since all you have to do is peel the apples and stew them with some other ingredients for a bit the most time consuming part is baking it in the oven.  So, if you are looking for a popular dessert that is straight forward to make, this should definitely be on your short list. 

Notes

• Self raising flour is fine if you have nothing else. 
• For some extra fun, add a small glass of sherry!
  

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Makes 1 medium sized dish (about 700 g)

Time – 15–20 minutes to prepare and 35–40 minutes to bake.  About 1 hr in total.

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Ingredients

Apple filling 

• Cooking apples x 2 large
• Sultanas x 5 tbsps
• Cinnamon x 2 tsps
• Lemon x 2–3 tbsps
  
• Vanilla extract x 1/2 tsp 
• Brown sugar x 2-3 tbsp
  
• Salt x 2 pinch  
• Water x 100 ml
  

Crumble

• Plan flour 120 g
• Vegan butter 40 g
• Sugar 40 g + more for sprinkling on top
  
• Salt x 1/4 tsp
• Rolled oats x 4 tbsp

 

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Method

Apple filling

1. Heat the water and sugar in a medium sized saucepan.
   
2. While the water is heating, peel the apples and cut them into big chunks. 
3. Add the apples chunks, sultanas, vanilla extract, pinch of salt, and cinnamon to the saucepan.
4. Bring to a boil and reduce quickly to a simmer.  Simmer until the chunks become soft. 
   

 

Crumble

1. Tip the flour into a mixing bowl.
2. Cut the butter into cubes and add it to the mixing bowl. 
3. Add the salt
4. Mix together with your hands and rub the butter and flour through your fingers until you get a breadcrumb like look. 
5. Add the oats and mix them in with your hands.
   

Crumb will end up looking like breadcrumbs.

Add the crumble on top of the apple filling

1. Pour the apple filling from the saucepan into a suitable baking dish.  Level the apple filling out.
   
2. With a tablespoon, add the crumble mix to the top of the apple filling and spread it out evenly.  Sprinkle a little sugar on top.
   
3. Bake in a preheated oven on the lower middle shelf at 180C for about 35–40 minutes.  

Results 

This turned out to be the best apple crumble I have ever had!  It had the perfect amount of sweetness with a hint of salt.  The apple filling had a great texture and apple taste with the lemon and vanilla coming through at the end of each mouthful.  Delicious!

I hope that you liked this blog and if you do try this recipe, please let me know how you got on and what it turned out like. You can leave a comment in the comments below.