Apple Crumble to Die For

I’ve got lots of apples left over from OOTO and thought I’d try some crumble. Here’s an approximate recipe I invented with a little help from here and there round the web.

Pre-heat oven to 200C

Base

• Rub the bottom of a shallow pan with butter or margarine
• Cut apples into quarters, remove core, slice into two or three pieces and layer in buttered pan
• Sprinkle with handful dried cranberries
• Peel 1/2-1 inch fresh ginger and grate over apples and cranberries
• Sprinkle with Demerara sugar

How many apples you use depends on the size of the apples and your baking dish. Mine is a round, 7-inch Pyrex baking dish.

Topping

Mix the following together in a medium-size bowl.

• 2 dessert spoons butter or margarine
• Triple flour to butter/margarine
• Double-triple oats to butter/margarine
• 1T egg replacer
• 1tsp baking powder
• 2T Demerara sugar
• 2 large brazil nuts, chopped (or nuts of your choosing)
• 3-4T milk.
  

  My T’s are actually dessert spoons, that are usually heaping, unless I say otherwise. I don’t measure when I’m experimenting.

MIXING

Rub flour, oats, egg replacer, baking powder and sugar into butter with the back of a wooden spoon against the sides of the bowl. When you can mix no more, add equal milk to butter, and mix, pressing the mixture together. It should fall apart into sticky pieces. When you’re satisfied it’s mixed enough, mix in the chopped walnuts then press over apples, cover with a lid or loose foil, and bake in oven.

Cooking Time and Temperature

• 7 minutes at 200
• Reduce temperature to 170
• Cook another 20-25 minutes.
• Check to see how the apples are doing.  You want them soft and juicy, with the sugar melted into the juice.
• Spread the beaten egg white over the top and return to oven.
• Turn heat back up to 200.
• Cook 7-10 minutes, or until meringue is golden.

I didn’t think of the meringue until the end. So if I made it again, I’d whip the egg whites and spread them over the apple crumble before starting the custard. The custard takes patience, then suddenly it’s cooked! and delicious!

For custard

I used this recipe from Merrilees Parker at BBC. I substituted the vanilla pod with star anise, and the caster sugar with Demerara and halved the recipe. I also added a Tablespoon of honey to the milk. It turned out great.

Related articles

• Apple Crumble (incucinadame.wordpress.com)
• A cobbler that really supports the fruit (seattletimes.nwsource.com)