Old Fashioned Apple Crumble
32
In late March, we went apple picking. We went to pick apples and I think we went a little nuts. One thing you must know about PYO, short for Pick Your Own is that – It Is Hard To Stop! There is just something about being in the midst of nature’s bounty with trees heaving under the weight of fresh ready to pick fruit that skews your perspective and warps your sense of quantity. Suddenly 15 kilos of apples for two medium sized adults and two tiny fussy beings isn’t a lot at all.
One of the first things I baked after we lugged four bags of mixed apples home was Apple Crumble. Honest to good, old-fashioned, buttery, golden apple crumble. I have been baking this crumble for ten years and it never grows old. It used to be quite popular on my old food site and I deemed it was finally time to share it here as well. I like to bake this in what seems to be a vintage Lemon Meringue Pie dish – ironic, I know! But it works for me. A pie dish is really great because this crumble is essentially an open pie. Originally baked with granny smiths, I bake it with whatever variety of apple I have on hand, even mixing varieties on occasion.
There is something wonderfully vintage about crumbles. The way they are unadorned and almost peasant-like in appearance and preparation. It makes me wax lyrical of simpler days, of cosy spaces and warm homes. I still believe that one of the greatest pleasures of life is for loved ones to gather around a big bowl of something warm, spoons in eager hands, clatter of plates and a crescendo of incessant chatter and laughs. This apple crumble embodies that bowl of something warm, something sweet, a bowl meant for sharing.
So tell me, what is your perfect dish to share at the table??
OLD FASHIONED APPLE CRUMBLE
Preparation Time – 15 minutes
Baking Time – 30 minutes
Serves – 4
Ingredients
For The Filling
450g apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm pieces
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
50g brown sugar
For The Crumble
a pinch of salt
a pinch of ground nutmeg
300g plain flour, sifted
200g unsalted butter, softened
175g brown sugar
Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Butter a 9 inch ovenproof dish.
To Make The Filling
Place fruit in a large bowl. Sprinkle with sugar, flour and cinnamon. Mix well with a spoon and set aside while you make the crumble.
To Make The Crumble
Place flour, salt, nutmeg and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Take a little butter at a time and rub into the flour and sugar mixture. Keep rubbing until all the butter is used up and the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Spoon fruit mixture into the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle crumble on top. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until top is golden.
Serve warm with clotted cream or vanilla ice cream.
Notes
To make a gluten-free version, substitute plain flour in the recipe with almond meal or hazelnut flour.
Mouthwatering! That is something I love very much. Crumbles are so delicious and yours looks wonderful.
Cheers,
Rosa
Rosa´s last [type] ..STRAWBERRY PICKING AROUND THE WEB
I love how comforting a good apple crumble is; yours looks delicious!
Laura (Tutti Dolci)´s last [type] ..strawberry hand pies
mmm that looks fantastic and i love your ratio of crumble to apple innards!
that looks divine!! thanks for sharing the recipe
Is it weird that I haven’t eaten a apple crumble before? This makes me want to try and make these!
Meki´s last [type] ..Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting
One of my most favourite foods in the world….. yum
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To me, apple crumble means comfort. I love a crumble topping atop tart-sweet apples. It’s spring here, and I’m making a lot of fruit crisps- rhubarb, strawberry, blueberry. Nothing better than the smell of fruit baking in the oven.
la domestique´s last [type] ..Ingredient of the Week: Rhubarb
Like honest recipes like this which is, like you said, perfect to share. Pizzas are a favorite in our dinner table. One hot sizzling pizza comes out of the oven and we all dig in
So good!
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Nothing beats a crumble although I am not sure which is my favourite? The gluten free tip was good I had not thought to substitute with almond meal that would work so well with a raspebrry base.
Cakeboule´s last [type] ..Jammie Dodger Cheesecakes
That looks like my kind of crumble – lots of lovely topping and the apples beautifully soft and melting. Gorgeous, classic and very hard to beat!
thelittleloaf´s last [type] ..Real Bourbon Biscuits
Oooh, there is nothing quite like the scent of apples baking away into the perfect pie or crumble! I can almost smell this now, just thinking about it.
And I can absolutely relate to the issue of PYO over-abundance. The last time I went blueberry picking I toted home nearly 13 lbs., and still have bags of them in my freezer! Reading this post, and seeing that gorgeous photo of apples overflowing the bucket, is making me itch to go PYOing again.
Willow´s last [type] ..Chocolate Chip Cookie Throw-Down
Crumbles are cozy and delicious. Lovely photos.
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15 kilos!! WOW
u know I never made crumbles .. how silly nah! Gonna try this one sometime. Sounds so comforting and easy to bake.
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Methinks I have to go back at least a decade to the last apple crumble I made. I very much like your recipe as the ‘naughtiness’ level is quite low
! Well, friends coming next weekend for a meal – guess I know what they will get!
My quick fix dessert for when I am short on time and uninformed guest are knocking at the door
Apple crumble is a winner. Lovely clicks, Sneh.
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A scrumptious crumble! Your photos evoke the feeling of autumn with the sweet juicy apples, a terrific post.
Deb´s last [type] ..Blackberry Mandarin Cupcakes
You’re right, there is something wonderfully vintage about the classic apple crumble and I don’t think it will ever go out of style. It’s the ultimate in comfort food. Gorgeous photos as always Sneh.
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Warm crumble with a dollop of ice cream…is just divine. Lovely clicks.
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Had to put this recipe straight away onto Paprika! Looking forward to trying it, maybe Grant can make it for Mothers Day
Grant did make the apple crumble for Mother’s Day without needing prompting (I only send him out to get the apples
. The gluten-free version turned out beautiful and he is keen to make it again!
This looks wonderful and I love your pictures! We went apple picking in October and we left with about two kilos. It was pathetic. Not only that, but we had to rent a car, drive an hour each way, and then… two kilos. Next year has to be better! And my perfect dish? Pizza. It makes everyone super happy for a few moments. It’s fantastic.
[...] just plain old favourites prepared with the utmost simplicity. After some simple brownies and an old fashioned crumble, I wanted to share a savoury classic. Pizza. It is fast, cheap and convenient to order. So, most of [...]
It is apple crumble season for sure. Looks divine.
Sara (Belly Rumbles)´s last [type] ..Weekly Rumbles
OH MY! THIS IS THE MOST DELICIOUS THING I HAVE EVER TRIED! The brown sugar made it all caramel-y and it was just so divine with ice cream!
Minimal ingredients, simple instructions. Bookmarking right away.
Thanks for sharing. Will let you know how it turns out when I try one day.
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[...] to make crumble to warm your heart this weekend. Next »Food: Ten Delicious Crumbles To BakeOld Fashioned Apple Crumble | Cook Republic If you include oats in your crumble you can absolutely eat it for [...]
Sneh,
I used this recipe to make a lovely apple crumble. Thanks for sharing this gorgeous recipe. My friends for whom I made this, licked every last morsel of it.
Anita Menon´s last [type] ..Pita Bread – Fresh from the Oven June Challenge
This apple crumble was awesome! Thanks for the recipe, I made it tonight! I made it with half almond meal/half flour (cause I didn’t have enough almond meal), added shredded coconut to the topping and added sultanas to the apples. Delicious!!
this is an easy & very delicious dessert. Fabulous for a cold evening. I have cooked it twice & it is in my favourites folder!
[...] Photo Courtesy Of: Cook Republic [...]
[...] featured in their Apple picking section. The original photos first appeared on Cook Republic in this post. It is huge deal for me! Grab a copy of the magazine if it is available near you or buy it on the [...]