Nigel Slater's apple crumble
Nigel Slater’s apple crumble balances tart Bramleys with an oat crumble topping that’s made extra crunchy by demerara sugar.
Ingredients
- 1kg/2lb 3½oz Bramley apples
- pinch sugar, to taste
- 1 tbsp water or apple juice
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú plain flour
- 75²µ/2½´Ç³ú butter
- 50g/2oz rolled oats
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú demerara sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Wipe the apples and cut them into quarters, then remove the cores and slice each piece in two. Put them into a pan, taste a slice for sweetness and add a sprinkling of sugar accordingly. Add a tablespoon of water or apple juice and cook over a medium heat for about five minutes, until the apples start to soften.
Transfer the apple mixture to a shallow ovenproof pie dish.
Blend the flour and butter in a food processor for a few seconds, until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. (You can rub the butter into the flour by hand if you don't have a food processor.)
Stir in the oats and the brown sugar and sprinkle over the cooked apples in the pie dish. Transfer to the oven to bake for 30 minutes or until crisp and golden-brown on top.
Recipe Tips
Giving the apples a headstart on the hob before baking the crumble ensures they are transformed into a fluffy puree. You can also taste for sweetness as apples do vary. At this stage you can also add a little bit of cinnamon to the apples, if you like.