Apple crumble
Soft, tangy cooking apples under a thick, buttery crumble topping, baked until golden and bubbling at the edges.
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 190°C.
- 2
Peel, quarter and core the apples, then cut them into 3 cm chunks.
- 3
Toss the apples with the caster sugar, cinnamon and water and spread them in the baking dish.
- 4
Put the flour and salt in a large bowl and add the cold butter.
- 5
Rub the butter in with your fingertips until the mix looks like breadcrumbs with a few larger lumps.
- 6
Stir in the demerara sugar, then squeeze a few handfuls together to make some bigger clumps.
- 7
Scatter the crumble evenly over the apples without pressing it down.
- 8
Set the dish on a baking tray to catch drips and bake until the top is golden and the fruit juices bubble up at the edges.
- 9
Leave to stand before serving with custard, cream or ice cream.
Notes
- Cooking apples collapse into a soft, sharp purée. Firm eating apples hold their shape and need only half the sugar.
- For extra crunch, swap 50 g of the flour for rolled oats.
- The unbaked crumble mix freezes well. Scatter it over the fruit straight from the freezer and add 5 minutes to the baking time.
Equipment
1.5 litre baking dish, Large mixing bowl, Peeler, Baking tray