I want to cook the best apple crumble and give it away
June 20, 2022 12:28 AM Subscribe
Please give me your best apple crumble recipes and/or apple crumble techniques. All your hints, tips and tricks. I want a delicious crumble and the yummiest apple filling; scrumptious warm or cold. Will have a home-made vanilla custard available as a topping. This is a gift for a sad family so I am willing to do a test run or two if you have tricky ideas. Thanks.
If I were going for the most luxe of luxe apple crumbles, I'd start by preparing the filling separately using my Completely Destroyed Apples recipe.
Completely Destroyed Apples
Ingredients: apples.
Method: Quarter and core an apple, and put the pieces into a pot with a tight-fitting lid, skin side down. Keep doing that until the pot is so totally packed full of skin-side-down apple quarters that you actually need to lean fairly hard on the lid to get it to close.
Next, add enough cold water to the pot that you can just see the top of it through the gaps in the apples, so somewhere between half and three quarters of the depth of the pot. Clap on the lid, sit the pot on a stove burner set to the absolute lowest setting it's capable of, and leave it there for eight to ten hours. I like to make up a pot of these before going to bed and turn it off after getting up, because waking up in a house that smells of apples is a nice thing.
You want the pot to take at least a couple of hours to rise all the way to boiling temperature. It's fine if it never quite makes it all the way there. If it does, you want no enthusiasm in the boil whatsoever, just the tiniest streams of gentle bubbles. Instead of a plain pot on the lowest possible stovetop burner setting you could probably do this with a slow cooker, or even a rice cooker set to Keep Warm - I haven't tried either of these options but I'm pretty sure they'd both work.
After this kind of abuse the apples will have almost but not quite disintegrated, and will also have shrunk a bit so they're no longer trying to lift the lid off the pot. If you're very gentle you'll still be able to lift pieces out whole with a serving spoon but they'll be super soft and floppy. They'll also be quite brown, and if there were some red-skinned varieties in amongst them then the brown will be tinged with pink.
The other thing they'll be is perfectly sweet and completely delicious and they'll stay that way for at least a week in the fridge, assuming anybody can keep out of them for long enough to give them the chance.
For use as a crumble filling you could either pull the skins out or leave them on. Personally I'd leave them on because I like a little tartness and texture in amongst the sweetness, but this is entirely the cook's choice.
posted by flabdablet at 2:53 AM on June 20, 2022
Completely Destroyed Apples
Ingredients: apples.
Method: Quarter and core an apple, and put the pieces into a pot with a tight-fitting lid, skin side down. Keep doing that until the pot is so totally packed full of skin-side-down apple quarters that you actually need to lean fairly hard on the lid to get it to close.
Next, add enough cold water to the pot that you can just see the top of it through the gaps in the apples, so somewhere between half and three quarters of the depth of the pot. Clap on the lid, sit the pot on a stove burner set to the absolute lowest setting it's capable of, and leave it there for eight to ten hours. I like to make up a pot of these before going to bed and turn it off after getting up, because waking up in a house that smells of apples is a nice thing.
You want the pot to take at least a couple of hours to rise all the way to boiling temperature. It's fine if it never quite makes it all the way there. If it does, you want no enthusiasm in the boil whatsoever, just the tiniest streams of gentle bubbles. Instead of a plain pot on the lowest possible stovetop burner setting you could probably do this with a slow cooker, or even a rice cooker set to Keep Warm - I haven't tried either of these options but I'm pretty sure they'd both work.
After this kind of abuse the apples will have almost but not quite disintegrated, and will also have shrunk a bit so they're no longer trying to lift the lid off the pot. If you're very gentle you'll still be able to lift pieces out whole with a serving spoon but they'll be super soft and floppy. They'll also be quite brown, and if there were some red-skinned varieties in amongst them then the brown will be tinged with pink.
The other thing they'll be is perfectly sweet and completely delicious and they'll stay that way for at least a week in the fridge, assuming anybody can keep out of them for long enough to give them the chance.
For use as a crumble filling you could either pull the skins out or leave them on. Personally I'd leave them on because I like a little tartness and texture in amongst the sweetness, but this is entirely the cook's choice.
posted by flabdablet at 2:53 AM on June 20, 2022
I make crisps (with oats in the topping) rather than crumbles. I usually peel, and cut the apples (a mix of old-fashioned, locally-grown varieties when available) into smaller chunks than flabdablet described — halving or quartering the quarters to arrive at eighths or sixteenths, and pile them high, overfilling a deep buttered baking dish, before capping with the crisp mixture. Sometimes I’ll mix in a handful of raisins or dried apricots cut into smaller bits.
The crisp is one part brown sugar, two parts flour, two parts rolled oats, spiced generously with cinnamon and nutmeg, a pinch of Cayenne pepper, and a pinch of salt if using unsalted butter. Stir in enough melted butter to make it hang together.
Baking times and temperatures vary with the size of the batch and type of apples. My aim is to have the apples tender but not mushy at the same time that the crisp gets crispy, so fragile apples and smaller batches/containers mean higher temperatures and shorter baking times.
posted by jon1270 at 4:43 AM on June 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
The crisp is one part brown sugar, two parts flour, two parts rolled oats, spiced generously with cinnamon and nutmeg, a pinch of Cayenne pepper, and a pinch of salt if using unsalted butter. Stir in enough melted butter to make it hang together.
Baking times and temperatures vary with the size of the batch and type of apples. My aim is to have the apples tender but not mushy at the same time that the crisp gets crispy, so fragile apples and smaller batches/containers mean higher temperatures and shorter baking times.
posted by jon1270 at 4:43 AM on June 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
Apple crumble is one of my husband's very favorite foods. It's also easy (at least my recipe is) and a cinch to memorize.
My favorite crumble topping uses melted butter. It is very simple and comes out perfectly every time. The recipe doubles easily.
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup regular rolled oats
Mix butter and sugar. Add flour and oats and mix well.
I like to use raw apples because easy. I leave the skins on and core them and rough chop them. Measure them into your pan so you know how many to chop. Throw them into a bowl with a splash of fresh lemon juice and good quality vanilla extract. Sprinkle sugar to lightly dust them. Add a dash or two of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg if you like. Toss them to coat.
Butter your pan (all the way up to the edges) and dump the filling (including any juicy liquids) in. Pile them high! They shrink a lot. Put crumble topping on top. It will be trying to tumble down the mountain of apples. Smash it back up on there. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour or so until the top is golden and the filling is bubbly.
My tips:
Topping: I promise that melted butter is the way to go if you want a foolproof traditional crunchy crispy topping without a lot of fuss. I have no other tips about the topping because it's that easy.
Filling: More apples! You want to pile them up in your baking dish as high as you are able. Leaving skins on is necessary for good apple flavor in the filling. Use the best apples you can get. A crunchy variety is best for holding their shape (unless you like a gooey filling). My favorite variety is crispin but anything tasty and crunchy is good. Go very easy on the sugar you add to the filling, the topping is sweet and so is the fruit. I think vanilla is necessary and spices are optional.
Most important thing: Apple crumble/crisp is made of simple ingredients so it's critical to use the very best quality stuff you can get.
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 6:20 AM on June 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
My favorite crumble topping uses melted butter. It is very simple and comes out perfectly every time. The recipe doubles easily.
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup regular rolled oats
Mix butter and sugar. Add flour and oats and mix well.
I like to use raw apples because easy. I leave the skins on and core them and rough chop them. Measure them into your pan so you know how many to chop. Throw them into a bowl with a splash of fresh lemon juice and good quality vanilla extract. Sprinkle sugar to lightly dust them. Add a dash or two of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg if you like. Toss them to coat.
Butter your pan (all the way up to the edges) and dump the filling (including any juicy liquids) in. Pile them high! They shrink a lot. Put crumble topping on top. It will be trying to tumble down the mountain of apples. Smash it back up on there. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour or so until the top is golden and the filling is bubbly.
My tips:
Topping: I promise that melted butter is the way to go if you want a foolproof traditional crunchy crispy topping without a lot of fuss. I have no other tips about the topping because it's that easy.
Filling: More apples! You want to pile them up in your baking dish as high as you are able. Leaving skins on is necessary for good apple flavor in the filling. Use the best apples you can get. A crunchy variety is best for holding their shape (unless you like a gooey filling). My favorite variety is crispin but anything tasty and crunchy is good. Go very easy on the sugar you add to the filling, the topping is sweet and so is the fruit. I think vanilla is necessary and spices are optional.
Most important thing: Apple crumble/crisp is made of simple ingredients so it's critical to use the very best quality stuff you can get.
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 6:20 AM on June 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
My grandmother taught me to always double the amount of cinnamon called for in the original recipe, and don't use ancient dusty cinnamon. It's worth it to buy a fresh one.
posted by mmf at 7:18 AM on June 20, 2022
posted by mmf at 7:18 AM on June 20, 2022
Mum’s Apple Crumble
(Updated with more precise instructions)
22cm diameter, 10cm deep souffle dish.
1.5kg Bramley apples and/or other stewing fruit - rhubarb and blackberries work well.
250g caster sugar
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
Note: If using rhubarb or other astringent fruit, increase the amount of sugar. If using blackberries (or eating apples), decrease the amount of sugar. This can be tricky to judge. I recommend stewing the fruit with a smaller amount of sugar than in the recipe above and then when the fruit is nearly ready to be put in the dish and adding sugar as required. When tasting, eat some fruit chunks as well as some juice to see if sweet enough. Adding a teaspoon of cinnamon makes it taste sweeter than it is (and is basically a cheat if you’re unsure whether the sugar amount is right - it tastes better without but if you’re not sure on the sugar content it’s better to add it).
Peel the apples and remove all the flesh except for the core (throw core away), and chop the remaining into small chunks about 0.5cm3 . If using other fruit, chop similarly.
Add the chopped fruit to a large pan with 2-3 tbsp of water, the cinnamon if using, and the sugar and heat on a medium heat. Stir regularly and taste regularly, adding more sugar as required and mash it down until the fruit is stewed.
For the crumble
100g margarine
75g caster sugar
300g plain flour
50g porridge oats
Rub the margarine, porridge oats and flour together until it has breadcrumbs consistency, add the sugar and continue to crumb it.
Drain off any excess juice from the fruit, and add to the greased souffle dish. Place the crumble mix on top and cook for 30 minutes at 180 degrees.
posted by BigCalm at 7:26 AM on June 20, 2022
(Updated with more precise instructions)
22cm diameter, 10cm deep souffle dish.
1.5kg Bramley apples and/or other stewing fruit - rhubarb and blackberries work well.
250g caster sugar
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
Note: If using rhubarb or other astringent fruit, increase the amount of sugar. If using blackberries (or eating apples), decrease the amount of sugar. This can be tricky to judge. I recommend stewing the fruit with a smaller amount of sugar than in the recipe above and then when the fruit is nearly ready to be put in the dish and adding sugar as required. When tasting, eat some fruit chunks as well as some juice to see if sweet enough. Adding a teaspoon of cinnamon makes it taste sweeter than it is (and is basically a cheat if you’re unsure whether the sugar amount is right - it tastes better without but if you’re not sure on the sugar content it’s better to add it).
Peel the apples and remove all the flesh except for the core (throw core away), and chop the remaining into small chunks about 0.5cm3 . If using other fruit, chop similarly.
Add the chopped fruit to a large pan with 2-3 tbsp of water, the cinnamon if using, and the sugar and heat on a medium heat. Stir regularly and taste regularly, adding more sugar as required and mash it down until the fruit is stewed.
For the crumble
100g margarine
75g caster sugar
300g plain flour
50g porridge oats
Rub the margarine, porridge oats and flour together until it has breadcrumbs consistency, add the sugar and continue to crumb it.
Drain off any excess juice from the fruit, and add to the greased souffle dish. Place the crumble mix on top and cook for 30 minutes at 180 degrees.
posted by BigCalm at 7:26 AM on June 20, 2022
First of all, Northern Spy is the best pie apple.
I think this might technically be a crisp, but Edna Staebler's Cream and Crumb Apple Schnitz pie has long been my go-to apple pie-ish dessert. The crumble component is used three ways in the pie (sprinkled over the empty crust, mixed with the cream and apples, and sprinkled over the top, which gets all that cinnamony goodness incorporated throughout the pie.
posted by Preserver at 10:08 AM on June 20, 2022
I think this might technically be a crisp, but Edna Staebler's Cream and Crumb Apple Schnitz pie has long been my go-to apple pie-ish dessert. The crumble component is used three ways in the pie (sprinkled over the empty crust, mixed with the cream and apples, and sprinkled over the top, which gets all that cinnamony goodness incorporated throughout the pie.
posted by Preserver at 10:08 AM on June 20, 2022
I always put a slack handful of chopped dates in with the apples for a melty toffee flavour and it's hugely popular. Also, a sprinking of brown or muscovado sugar on top of the crumble mix.
posted by humph at 11:38 AM on June 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by humph at 11:38 AM on June 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
The best apple crumble I ever made was with Bramley apples and rhubarb. I stewed the rhubarb in advance, cooking it down to pulp with a little water, a bit of sugar and vanilla. Mixed it into the apples (peeled, cored, cut into 1-inch pieces but otherwise raw) with a bit of powdered ginger.
Topping was oats, salted butter, sugar, ground almonds, and a bit more powdered ginger (the only spice I used). I cut them together with two knives, then rubbed with my fingers until crumb-shaped.
For further topping hacks, you might try pounding to crumbs some ginger snaps (Ginger Nuts in UK) or amaretti, and tossing them in melted butter, or using them instead of flour. (Same principle as a crumb crust, but on top).
posted by Pallas Athena at 5:28 PM on June 22, 2022
Topping was oats, salted butter, sugar, ground almonds, and a bit more powdered ginger (the only spice I used). I cut them together with two knives, then rubbed with my fingers until crumb-shaped.
For further topping hacks, you might try pounding to crumbs some ginger snaps (Ginger Nuts in UK) or amaretti, and tossing them in melted butter, or using them instead of flour. (Same principle as a crumb crust, but on top).
posted by Pallas Athena at 5:28 PM on June 22, 2022
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I'm not really happy with my apple base, so I'll be looking forward to seeing others' suggestions.
posted by plonkee at 2:24 AM on June 20, 2022 [1 favorite]