Winter puddings no. 4 - let’s comfort eat our way through this!
Apple Crumble - why wasn’t this higher on the list? It’s OBVIOUS.
Served with thick double cream or custard (yes!) this winter warmer is a sure-fire hit on a cold, rainy day…or on a fine, sunny day, let’s be honest.
It’s a pretty flexible pud - apple is the classic go-to filling, but how about rhubarb , plum or pear & blackberry? You can use the old-school crumble topping of flour-butter-brown sugar or health-it-up by adding oats, nuts and seeds (this is very much frowned upon by my family who are highly suspicious of any attempt to jazz-up baked goods with nutritious ingredients).
Classic Apple Crumble
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 kg mixed apples (good to use at least half sharp green apples like Granny Smith)
100 g caster sugar
generous pinch of cinnamon
50 g unsalted butter (cold, straight from the fridge)
100 g plain flour
50 g demerara / brown sugar
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Peel and core the apples, chop into 3cm chunks.
Place in a saucepan on a medium heat with 100g of caster sugar and a generous pinch of cinnamon.
Put the lid on and cook for 5 minutes, or until the apples have softened. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
Straight from the fridge, so it’s nice and hard, cube the butter and place it in a mixing bowl with the flour. Rub together with your fingertips until it resembles chunky breadcrumbs, then add the demerara sugar.
Transfer the apples to a 25cm x 30cm baking dish and sprinkle over the crumble topping.
Bake in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Serve with a large dollop of thick cream or a generous pour of custard.