Apple Crumble

I have an aversion to cooked fruits – poached, stewed, baked, etc. I prefer my fruit fresh and unadulterated, not because I’m a purist but, because the texture of cooked fruit has never appealed to me. Squishy fruit is not my cup of tea and even more so when there is skin or peel involved – think sultanas, prunes, raisins and the like. But the exception I make is with apples, peeled of course, and sometimes pears... but that’s it, ok?

The husband is an apple crumble man, almost always ordering it when we’re out, but I’ve never bothered to make it, despite its ease and straightforwardness, as I am an apple pie woman. Not that I think I’ve ever made apple pie either... blame it on my laziness with pastry etc etc. But with the recent chilly weather making a reappearance (hopefully the last vestiges of winter) and some sad, floury apples needing eating in our fruit bowl, the humble apple crumble finally made an appearance in our household.

I've omitted Ms Lawson’s Marsala-soaked raisins and added rolled oats but, you know, each to their own – crumbles are very open to tweaking.

Apple Crumble

(loosely adapted from How To Eat, recipe by Nigella Lawson)

Ingredients:

·         ½ cup plain flour

·         50g butter

·         ½ cup almond meal

·         2 tsp brown sugar

·         ¼ cup rolled oats (optional)

·         2 small to medium apples

·         2 heaped tsp of brown sugar

·         1 tsp ground cinnamon

·         2 tbs water

Method:

1. Preheat oven 190°C. Grease a shallow gratin dish or 3 ovenproof teacups with butter.
2. Rub butter into flour with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir almond meal and sugar (and rolled oats, if using) into the mixture and pop into the fridge while preparing the apples.
3. Peel, core and chop apples. Pop apple into a small saucepan over medium-high heat with remaining sugar, cinnamon and water. Cover with lid for about 5 minutes until apple is softened – if there is too much liquid, remove lid and crank the heat up to high to evaporate and reduce.
4. Transfer apple mixture to gratin dish or teacups, top with crumble mixture and place in oven for around 20-25 minutes, or until crumble topping is sufficiently golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving with ice-cream or double cream or custard or...

happy cooking!