Apple crumble

I love when crumble pie is thick, both filling and the crumble part. And this is, by far, my best apple crumble recipe! It is thick and has different textures-apples both grated and in chunks, soft raisins topped with buttery, crunchy and nutty crumble. Heavenly truly! Most often I use Granny Smith apples but any kind will do. 

Ingredients for 8-10

For filling

10 apples, 4 grated and 6 cut into chunks

4tbsp raisins

6tbsp caster sugar

1tsp ground cinnamon

1/2tsp vanilla seeds or seeds from 1 vanilla pod

1 lemon, zest and juice

For crumble

100gr plain flour

8tbsp yellow sugar

50gr cold butter cut into cubes

2tsp ground cinnamon

8tbsp oats

1dl flakes almonds

2dl crushed hazelnuts

Custard sauce

5dl milk

1 vanilla pod or 1/2tsp vanilla seeds

1,5dl sugar

7 egg yolks

0,75dl corn starch

25gr butter

2dl whipping cream

Process

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Place an oven proof dish on a medium heat, add the sugar and wait until it caramelises. Add the cinnamon, vanilla seeds and grated apples. Cook for 1-2min, stir all the time. Add the apple chunks, raisins, lemon zest and juice. Mix until combined then remove from the heat.

In a bowl, place the flour, sugar, butter, cinnamon and nuts. Mix with hands or using a fork until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the oats and mix until combined.

Cover the filling with the topping. Bake for 15min, then cover with the aluminium foil and bake for another 15min.

In a pot, heat up the milk with the vanilla seeds and the pod, if using. Bring to a boil. Remove the vanilla pod.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, using an electric mixer, mix the egg yolks with the sugar until fluffy.

Pour the half of boiling milk over the egg mixture and mix using a hand whisk, add the rest of the milk and mix once more. Pour back this mixture into the pot where milk was and place on a medium to high heat. Mix, using a hand whisk all the time. When the mixture starts to thicken and you can see the bottom of the pot, this will happen in seconds, cook for another 5sec then quickly transfer to a clean bowl, mix in the butter and keep mixing vigorously until any lumps are gone. Leave in the fridge to cool completely. If the cooled cream is not completely smooth-strain it.

Combine the cooled vanilla cream with whipped cream.

Serve while the crumble is warm, topped with custard-cold or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

M