There is such a welcoming smell in the house whenever I make this most popular of desserts. The caramelised apples and cinnamon underneath the crunchy, crumbly topping signify that autumn is here. This is especially good served with warm custard!
My grandmother had an apple crumble recipe, but she called it Canadian Apple Pie (probably because we lived in Canada at the time and my mother gave her the recipe).
There is much debate about which apples to use for crumble and whether they need to be cooked separately beforehand. My grandmother used 'raw' apples for her pie and I would imagine they were eating apples. She also recommended rhubarb or stoned plums as an alternative.
I have always used Bramley apples and cooked them in a saucepan with brown sugar for a few minutes beforehand so they break down slightly.
This was stuck into my mother's recipe book and I still follow these measurements today. It is just the right amount for a pie dish or six individual ramekins. The recipe gives the option of ground almonds, hazelnuts, oatmeal or oat flakes. I have used oat flakes.
230g plain flour
110g cold butter, diced
85g demerara sugar
2 tbsp oat flakes
Simply rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and oats and put the bowl into the fridge until you are ready to use it.
A good tip is to make double the amount and freeze what you don’t use so it’s ready for the next time!
Preheat the oven to 190ºC.
Core, peel and slice 3-4 large cooking apples. Put into a pan with a knob of butter, 3 tbsp soft brown sugar and 2-3 tsp ground cinnamon. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved. If you want a bit of colour, add some blackberries to the apples in place of the cinnamon.
Leave the mixture to cool slightly before filling a pie dish or ramekins to about three quarters. Cover with the crumble mixture. For individual ramekins, bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbling. Give it another 5-10 minutes if you're using a pie dish.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving with custard or vanilla ice-cream.
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