This week, Roy and I have been celebrating apples. We have visited the site of the Orchard where the Granny Smith Apple was discovered and learned about the history of apples and why they are such special fruit. So, it's no surprise that Roy has decided he wants to cook something using apples. He is a fan of apple crumble, and was horrified when I told him that many people I know use tinned apples for the base and have no idea what a really old fashioned apple crumble is like. He thought this week would be a perfect time to remedy this situation so he asked his Grandma for her Mum's old recipe to share with you, but first we had to measure the ingredients because when people were making this recipe, they just went by feel, until the mix looked right. People didn't write down the recipes, you just knew how to do it. This apple crumble is best made with cooking apples, like the ones Maria 'Granny' Smith, who died in 1870 on March 9, developed. You could make it with whatever fruit you like though!
You Will Need:
- Granny Smith Apples. If you can't get Granny Smiths any sort of good cooking apple will work fine. Allow at least one per person, plus one extra.
- 1 tablespoon of castor sugar (for the apples)
- 4 tablespoons of Rolled oats
- 4 tablespoons of Shredded or dessicated coconut (optional, you could use chopped nuts too)
- 4 tablespoons of brown Sugar
- 4 tablespoons of Flour
- 1 tablespoon of Butter
- 1/2 a teaspoon of cinnamon
Notes:
- If you are using red apples, Roy recommends adding the juice of 1/2 a lemon to the apples.
- You can use these proportions to make however much or little you like. This makes enough for 4 generous individual crumbles.
Method:
- Peel and slice the apples into bite sized pieces. Make sure you remove all of the core and seeds!
- If you are making a family size apple crumble, you will need to stew your fruit first. You can do this in the microwave by adding the castor sugar and a splash of water and cooking them on high for a few minutes. Just make sure to use a microwave safe bowl and cover the bowl with clingwrap. Ensure there are holes in the clingwrap for the steam to escape through or you might burn yourself when you uncover the apples! When they are cooked transfer the apples to an ovenproof dish and set aside. You could also stew your apples the old fashioned way, on the stove.
- If you are making individual crumbles, you can put the 'raw' sliced fruit in the bowls (Roy used ramekins, but you could use teacups) and sprinkle with castor sugar to taste. You don't need much sugar, we used about 1 teaspoon per crumble.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.
- Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, oats, coconut and flour in a clean, dry bowl and mix them together. Add the softened butter and use your fingertips to rub the mixture together. Make sure only to use your fingertips, otherwise you will melt the butter instead of rubbing it into the mix.
- When you have a soft, crumbly mix, sprinkle it over the top of your apples. If it has all stuck together because the butter has melted, just pull it into little lumps and spread it over the top. It is just as good.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size, or until the crumble is golden and crunchy.
- Serve with custard or icecream.
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