Apple Crumble or apple pie is my favorite. The crumble is easier and quicker. Any which way, baked apples are an American classic!
Fall, or Autumn as it is known in our neck of the woods has to be my favorite season. And Fall means apples. Bushels of them to eat and cook with. I am not blessed with an apple tree in my backyard, but I will never be any less fascinated by this simple fruit. Fuji, gala, pink lady, shimla – I love them all.
Fall has that great weather where afternoons are still sunny but just a wee bit chilly. Long sleeves and rugby stripes make an appearance. So do light jackets and layers. As we settle down and snuggle into our warmer clothes, we start craving warm foods. Salads seem less appealing, and soups are back in demand. Add the strong homey scent of baking apples, and I am in heaven.
The only thing better than a home baked apple pie is apple crumble – essentially the same thing, but just a deconstructed version. And it is easy to make if you are not much of a baker like me.
Hard as it is to find a baking apple in Pune, I took the plunge and got a kilo of Granny Smith apples. I always find it strange that green apple shampoo is abundant in this country. But green apples aren’t! They are certainly a gourmet and high priced ingredient.
Once you get the hang of this recipe, it can be used for any fruit like berries, peaches, plums etc. Bring on those calories and smiles!
Apple Crumble spells Fall for me. The sweet scent of apples and cinnamon fills the house, leaves and trees show a rainbow of colors, and the cool air is welcome after a hot summer.
Ingredients
- 4-5 Granny Smith or Golden Delicious Apples
- 1 cup AP flour
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 200g butter
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp grated nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp AP flour
Method
- Peel and chop the apples and sprinkle them with lemon juice to avoid darkening by oxidation.
- Mix half the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, 2 Tbsp flour and vanilla extract or essence. Add this to the apples and mix lightly.
- Dice the butter into fine squares with a knife. Do not handle too much. Refrigerate until needed.
- In a food processor, pulse together remaining sugar, flour, oats and diced butter until coarse clumps are formed. Do not over process. We do not want the butter to melt. I did this by hand but there is a risk of over processing. You want the butter chunks to remain in small pieces like pellets, just like you would do for pie crust.
- Grease a pie dish and add the apple mixture in it. Spread evenly and pour the flour/oat crumb mixture over the top. Let it get into the crevices. Don’t mix!! Just spread evenly over the top.
- Bake in a 350F or 180C oven until the top is crisp and the mixture bubbles. Should take at least 30 mins.
- Note: If the crumb mixture is a lot, make slits so that the juices have space to come out. Use more or less sugar depending on how tart your apple is. Use more cinnamon or nutmeg per your preference. I would use more!
- Cool a bit before serving. Serve warm topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Get into the Fall groove with this easy and simple apple crumble recipe. And feel a benevolent, comforting warmth spread all over!
