Apple crumble has always been one of those classic dishes that no matter what season we're in, it's never out of place! This classic treat remains a beloved choice, capturing the heart of tradition and cosiness in each bite.
Our son began high school this September and his timetable includes food technology. Not only did we get the classic first technical 'fruit salad', he's also made bolognaise and apple crumble which inspired us to share one of our recipes for this timeless dish!
During spring and summer, when the days are lighter and the air temperature much warmer, we'll often add some fresh berries such as raspberries and blueberries and serve with ice cream. We love the burst of freshness that the raspberries and blueberries add to our dish during the warmer seasons.
During autumn and winter it's the comfort food we crave. As the temperature drops and the nights get longer, our dish is enhanced with a touch of cinnamon, a sprinkle of sultanas, and a generous serving of hot custard - this is the recipe and method we'll be sharing in this post today. We hope you love it as much as we do!
*This recipe will serve 4 when served with an accompaniment such as custard or ice cream
You will need
An oven proof dish/foil tray at least 5 cm deep - this can be any shape but not huge! Around 20cm(8") is more than enough,
Mixing Bowl, Chopping Board, Sharp Knife, Weighing Scales, Timer
Fruit Layer:
- 4 cooking apples such as Granny Smith, Braeburn or Gala apple. You can use other apples but these varieties are some of the varieties that hold their shape well during the cooking process and won't go to mush
- 50g Sultanas - optional but if you do use, any brand is fine
- 1 tablespoon of white sugar - this can be granulated or caster sugar. Caster sugar is just finer granulated sugar.
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon - optional
Crumble Layer:
- 200g plain flour - You can use self raising flour but the texture will be slightly different due to the raising agent in Self Raising Flour
- 100g unsalted butter or Baking Spread - We used unsalted butter this time but Aldi brand baking spread is perfect for this recipe!
- 50g light brown sugar
- One crushed digestive biscuit - optional
METHOD
1. PREHEAT your oven to 170 fan/190C/Gas Mark 52. Chop the apples into quarters to make peeling easier. Peel the skin from the apples and chop the apples into roughly 2cm chunks ensuring you remove the apple core, stem and any seeds. Chopping the apples to roughly the same size will give a more even baking time.
3. Place the apple chunks into your ovenproof dish and add the remaining ingredients for the fruit layer; 50g sultanas, 1 tablespoon of white sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
4. Give this a good mix and ensure the layer of fruit is evenly covering the bottom of the dish. Pop the dish to one side and move onto the crumble layer. It should look like this...
NOTES
INGREDIENTS:
- Stork ‘Butter’ or ‘Spread’ can be used as an alternative to make this dish VEGAN.
- Gluten Free Flour can be used if you have an allergy or intolerance.
- As the biscuit is optional for the crumble topping, if you have an allergy or intolerance, you would have to find an alternative suitable for you. This isn’t a necessary ingredient though so can easily be missed or add something else to create your own twist.
- Cinnamon doesn’t need to be used. You don’t need any additional spice - this is our preference as it adds a warm comforting kick. You could add a little ginger, nutmeg or even mixed spice - just add half a teaspoon at a time to suit your own taste.
DURING BAKING:
- If your crumble is starting to brown a bit too much in one particular area, this may be a hot spot in your oven. Rotate your crumble for an even bake.
- If it's all browning a bit too quick, pop some foil or a baking tray across the top of the crumble and leave it there to continue baking.