Is it an Apple Crisp or an Apple Crumble?...and does it really matter? Follow my 5 TIPS FOR A PERFECT APPLE CRUMBLE and you will get rave reviews for this simple, homey, comfort food dessert every time.
Course
Dessert
Cuisine
North American
Prep Time25minutes
Cook Time45minutes
Total Time1hour5minutes
Servings9servings
AuthorBarry C. Parsons
Ingredients
For the fruit layer
8small to medium sized apples
⅓cupwhite sugar
2tspcorn starch
½tspcinnamon
½tspnutmeg
1tspvanilla extract
3tbspmelted butter
For the crumble layer
1cupall purpose flouror whole wheat flour
1cuplarge rolled oats
½cupbrown sugar
1tspbaking powder
¾cupcold buttercut in small cubes
Instructions
To prepare the apple layer
Peel, core and cut the apples into thick wedges.
Mix together the sugar, corn starch, cinnamon and nutmeg until well combined then toss together with the apples.
Stir together the melted butter and vanilla extract. Pour over the apples and once again, toss together well.
Transfer the prepared apples to an ungreased 8x8 glass baking dish or one of similar size. I sometimes use a deep dish pie pan.
To prepare the oatmeal crumble top
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, brown sugar and rolled oats. Rub this together with your hands to break up any lumps in the brown sugar.
Add the cubes of cold butter and start pinching them together with your fingertips and incorporating them into the dry ingredients until the mixture forms a a ball like cookie dough.
Press small handfuls of the dough into balls, then break off small pieces of the dough, about the size of the top of your thumb, and scatter them evenly all over the surface of the prepared apple layer. Do not press them down at all. They will settle naturally as the crumble bakes. This is key to getting a crispy crumble.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes. The apple layer should be bubbling and the surface of the crumble should be an even medium golden brown. If you are using a shallower, slightly larger baking pan like a 9x9, watch it closely, the crumble may be done in 5 or 10 minutes less time.