Apple Crumble: essential comfort food

Apple crumble is the favourite dish of so many people I know. When did you last eat some?

It’s such an easy dish to make and is open to adjustments. The key ingredient is apples. Cooking apples are ideal to get that balance of sourness with the sweet topping look for Bramleys, or if you are lucky you might find some local cookers such as Howgate Wonder. However, I’ve had great results with windfalls – those apples that would otherwise go to waste.

Butter is also essential – either salted or unsalted. Please don’t make it with anything else! You can substitute wheat flour for gluten free flour if you wish. If you happen to have some blackberries available they made a great addition.

In France “le crumble’ appears quite regularly on menus. However, their version is not as it should be. The topping is made separately, then placed on the apples. Whereas the British version has to have that layer between the crisp top and the fruit that soggy. There is no other way to describe it.

Go on, I bet you are dreaming of that warm, comforting feeling that you get when you eat apple crumble already. You can make the topping in 10 minutes, then bake for half an hour. Serve with custard, cream or ice cream.

Apple Crumble Recipe

Apple Crumble

Danielle Ellis

This is such an easy recipe, with very little preparation needs. I often make this without cooking the apples first, but you get a better result with apples that are lightly cooked first. The apples need no extra sugar, the topping contains all you need. Use a ceramic baking dish for preference, any shape will do, at least 25 cm wide. Blackberries made a lovely addition. 

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 750 grams Cooking apples eg Bramleys or a mixture, windfalls are great
• 250 grams plain flour - wheat or gluten free
• 125 grams butter - salted or unsalted
• 125 grams demerara sugar - granulated is fine
• 125 grams blackberries - optional

Instructions

 

• Pre-heat oven to 200°C 390°F
• Peel, core and cut apples into slices. Add blackberries if you are using them. Place in the ovenproof dish you have chosen for your crumble. Cover and bake until softened (about 15 minutes). 
• To make the topping, either rub the butter into the flour as you would pastry. Or place the flour and butter into a food processor bowl. Process until you have an even breadcrumb texture.
  
• Add the sugar and mix for a few seconds only.
  
• Take the dish out of the oven and sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit mixture. 
  
• Place in the oven and bake until the top browns. The filling might bubble up a little to show it is done! It will take 20 to 30 minutes depending on your oven.
  
• Serve
  

Tried this recipe?Mention @Breadbakerdani or tag #SevernBitesBreadmaking!

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