APPLE CRUMBLE
I practically love any Dessert with Apples, they are one of my comforts during the Autumn, a season I don’t particularly like. One of the Apple Cakes I like the most is the Apple CRUMBLE for its contrast between a crunchy outside and a soft, juicy inside.
Over the years spent making cakes and pies, I have come across several recipes to prepare the Apple Crumble Cake, and now I can finally tell you that I believe I have found the perfect ORIGINAL CRUMBLE recipe.
For those who don’t know, the CRUMBLE, which is used to prepare any type of Crumble, is nothing more than a crumbly dough made from a mixture of flour, sugar, butter, and a pinch of salt.
It has a very versatile use in pastry and can be used both for the preparation of Pies (the CRUMBLE for example), cakes (it’s perfect to add as a topping to BANANA BREAD) or as a topping for MUFFINS or PORRIDGE.
It is called CRUMBLE because it has Anglo-Saxon origins from the verb to crumble, precisely because the dough consists of many crumbs and is very easy to prepare, requiring only 3 ingredients, a bowl, and a spoon or even just your fingertips and 5 minutes of time.
Its characteristic is that once cooked it turns into sweet and crunchy nuggets that elevate any dessert to which you add it to a higher degree.
Why will you like this Apple Crumble recipe? For its simplicity in preparation (3 ingredients – 5 minutes), for its delicious flavor, and for the crunchiness you get once baked in the oven.
If you love Desserts with Apples, check out these recipes:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 350.89 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 50.25 (g) of which sugars 29.02 (g)
- Proteins 3.59 (g)
- Fat 16.23 (g) of which saturated 10.39 (g)of which unsaturated 5.64 (g)
- Fibers 1.35 (g)
- Sodium 196.31 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 3 Golden apples
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup sugar (brown or granulated)
- 1/2 cup butter (melted)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Tools
- Bowl
- Spoon
- Baking pan
Steps
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, salt, and melted butter (if you want a flavored CRUMBLE, add the cinnamon too). Start mixing using a spatula. The mixture will be dense. Keep mixing until the mixture appears moist. It’s okay if the mixture has a “sandy” consistency. Use your hands to crumble the lumps. I find it easier to mix the mixture with my hands from the start to get the crumbs. Once you get the crumbly texture, set aside
Wash the apples, peel them, then cut them first into slices and then into small cubes as similar to each other as possible. This way, the internal cooking of your Apple CRUMBLE will be more uniform. Place the apples in a bowl and “season” with a little cinnamon. I didn’t add sugar because the base is already sweet, and so are the apples.
Line a baking pan (diameter 9/10 inches) with parchment paper and pour half of the dough onto the base. Pour half of the crust to cover the base. Lightly press with your fingers or the back of a spoon and form the edges in the same way. Pour the apples inside, distributing them evenly. Cover with the remaining crumble randomly but trying to leave as few gaps as possible. This time we do not press down, to maintain the “crumble” effect.
Bake in a static oven at 350 °F for about 35/40 minutes. At the end of cooking, the Apple Crumble Cake should be golden brown on the surface. Take it out of the oven and let it cool completely before removing it from the pan. You can serve it accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream or simply dusted with powdered sugar.
NOTES
SUGAR: Both granulated and brown sugar can be used. There’s no right or wrong sugar to use, it just depends on personal preference. Using granulated sugar will produce a lighter and crispier topping because it lacks the rich brown color of brown sugar and the extra moisture that brown sugar has. The crumble with brown sugar will be darker and will hold its “shape” better.
BUTTER: Always use high-quality butter and adhere to the recipe’s quantities. Too much butter would result in a crumble topping that melts during the cooking process, while too little butter will result in a dry and floury crumble.
FLOUR: Do not alter the quantities of flour, this is also a fundamental ingredient. Adding flour because the dough seems too wet would make the crumble dry and overly crumbly. Conversely, too little flour means that the crumble doesn’t have enough stability and structure.
VARIATIONS: To make the Apple Crumble even richer, you can add raisins or, for a more indulgent version, chocolate chips.
STORAGE
You can prepare the Crumble in advance and assemble the apple crumble cake later. In fact, it keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Once baked, the Apple Crumble Cake should always be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Before eating it again, I recommend slightly warming it.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
HOW TO USE CRUMBLE?
You can add this crumb topping to any muffin or cake recipe before baking, or create a Crumble using it as both the base and the topping for fruit filling or hazelnut cream. If you add it to muffins, make sure there’s enough space in the mold after you’ve put the mix to “hold” the Crumble topping: this means adding a bit less batter to each muffin liner.
When adding it to cakes as a topping, make sure to add it to dense batters; those that are too liquid would cause the crumble topping to sink instead of staying perched atop the cake.What does crumble mean in cooking?
Crumble has Anglo-Saxon origins and gained its greatest popularity thanks to pastry in the USA. The term “Crumble” actually refers to “crumb,” because it is a butter-based dough that is literally crumbled and used to cover a layer of fruit
When was crumble invented?
Crumble was invented at the end of World War II as a result of food rationing: an economical alternative to the classic shortcrust pastry that achieved great success and became part of the tradition.
