The most delicious, buttery and comforting apple crumble! Full of warm spices and best served with vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce. This is the perfect dessert for when you need comfort and it’s super easy and quick to make!
This crumble is so simple but oh so delicious! It reminds me of autumn in England, chilling in front of the fireplace while outside it’s raining. Many people hate British weather but to me those days bring back lots of sweet memories.
I believe apple crumble is the perfect dessert (or even snack) for those rainy days when you don’t feel like doing much. It is so easy and in 45 minutes your house will be filled with the warm fragrance of cinnamon, ginger and vanilla.
WHAT TYPES OF APPLES ARE BEST?
This comes down to personal preference, but I wouldn’t suggest anything too tart or too sweet. I personally like Ambrosia, Fuji, Pink Lady or Golden Delicious. Some people like to use Granny Smith apples in crumbles. They’re a bit too tart for me but if that’s your thing, go for it!
HOW DO YOU MAKE AN APPLE CRUMBLE?
First we’re going to peel the apples and chop them into 2 cm pieces (about 3/4in). In a mixing bowl combine apples, light brown sugar, lemon juice and zest, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla extract. Mix with a spoon and let sit while you prepare the crumble.
To make the crumble, combine flour, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl. Then add cold butter, cut into small cubes, and rub it in using your fingertips until the texture resembles wet sand. This can also be done in a food processor.
Then you’re going to grease a 25x25cm/10x10in baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Add the apple mixture and sprinkle the crumble on top. Bake at 180°C/350°F for 30 minutes and enjoy it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some salted caramel sauce.
HOW DO YOU MAKE SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE?
When I made this crumble, I immediately thought of pairing it with some salted caramel sauce or caramel au beurre salé, if you feel fancy. Caramel is fairly easy to make, just DON’T WALK AWAY FROM IT. This thing burns in 2 seconds if you don’t pay attention. Usually, for a “blonde” caramel the temperature is between 156° and 165°C (312-329°F). You can go up to 175°C (347°F) if you want a darker caramel, but beyond that temperature the sugar will burn.
I usually make a dry caramel. This means that I don’t dissolve sugar in water like you’d do with a wet caramel, but I simply caramelize it in a saucepan.
I rarely use a thermometer because I like the thrill. Just kidding, I’m just lazy and I hate washing anything with caramel on it. Anyway, just keep the sugar on medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally to let it melt evenly. When the sugar is melted, take off the heat and whisk in the butter and warm heavy cream. If the cream is cold the caramel will “break”, this means that it will solidify and you’ll have to put it back on the heat.
Then add some sea salt and vanilla extract if you like! As it gets colder, the caramel will thicken and reach the right consistency.
Spiced Apple Crumble
Ingredients
- 4 medium-size apples (about 400g/14oz)
- 70 g of light brown sugar (1/3 cup, 2.5oz)
- 1 tsp of cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp of ginger
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 1 lemon (juice + zest)
For the crumble
- 150 g of plain flour (1 cup, 5.3oz)
- 70 g of granulated sugar (1/3 cup, 2.5oz)
- 100 g of cold butter (1/2 cup, 3.5oz)
- a pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions
- Peel and chop the apples into 2cm or 3/4in pieces. In a mixing bowl, combine them with the rest of the ingredients and let sit while you make the crumble.
- In a mixing bowl combine flour, sugar and salt. Add the cold butter cut into small cubes and gently rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles wet sand. You can also do this in a food processor.
- Butter a 25cm/10in baking dish, spoon in the apples and sprinkle with the crumble mixture.
- Bake in the oven at 180°C/350°F for 30 minutes. Enjoy warm with some vanilla ice cream or custard and salted caramel sauce.
Salted Caramel Sauce
This recipe makes a relatively small batch of caramel, so don't worry about having it hanging around in the fridge!
Ingredients
- 100 g of granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
- 25 g of butter (2 tbsp), at room temperature
- 60 ml of heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp of fine sea salt
Instructions
- Heat the sugar in a medium saucepan, swirling the pan occasionally or stirring with a silicone spatula. The sugar will form lumps, but they will melt eventually. Be careful not to burn yourself, caramel is extremely hot.
- Keep an eye on the caramel while you warm up the heavy cream in another saucepan.
- Once the sugar is melted, turn off the heat and whisk in the butter and heavy cream. Remove from heat and stir in the sea salt.
- Pour the caramel into a glass jar. As it gets colder, it will thicken. Store in the refridgerator for up to one month and reheat before using.
