Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Stewed Apples
- 800 g tart cooking apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into 2cm chunks
- 50 g caster sugar
- 30 ml water
- 3 g ground cinnamon
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Crumble Topping
- 150 g plain flour
- 125 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 100 g demerara sugar
- 75 g rolled oats
- 1 g salt, fine
Vanilla Custard
- 300 ml whole milk
- 200 ml heavy cream
- 4 egg yolks, room temperature
- 60 g caster sugar
- 10 g vanilla bean paste
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Lightly grease your baking dish with a small amount of extra butter.
Place the chopped apples in a saucepan along with the caster sugar, water, ground cinnamon, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until the apples have slightly softened but still retain their shape.
Transfer the stewed apples and any accumulated juices into the prepared baking dish, spreading them out into an even layer.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the plain flour and cold, cubed butter. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour quickly until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Stir the demerara sugar, rolled oats, and salt into the flour and butter mixture until evenly distributed. Sprinkle this crumble topping loosely and evenly over the stewed apples. Do not press it down.
Bake the crumble in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and crisp, and the apple filling is bubbling up around the edges. Remove and let rest while preparing the custard.
To begin the custard, pour the milk, heavy cream, and vanilla bean paste into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat gently over medium-low heat until it just begins to steam, about 75C/167F. Do not let it boil.
While the milk mixture is heating, place the egg yolks and caster sugar into a mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously for about 2 minutes until the mixture becomes pale yellow and slightly thickened.
Slowly pour the hot milk and cream mixture into the egg yolks in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly. This tempers the eggs so they do not scramble.
Pour the tempered mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly in a figure-eight motion with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. Cook until the custard thickens to coat the back of the spoon, registering 80C/176F on a thermometer. Immediately remove from heat.
Serve the apple crumble warm in bowls, pouring a generous ladle of the hot vanilla custard over the crispy topping.
Chef's Notes
- For a more complex flavor profile, mix a highly acidic cooking apple like Bramley with a firm, sweet eating variety like Honeycrisp or Pink Lady.
- Do not press the crumble topping down into the dish before baking. Keeping it loose allows hot air to circulate, resulting in a significantly crispier finish.
- When making custard (creme anglaise), it is crucial to pull it off the heat right at 80C to 82C. Residual heat in the pan will continue cooking it briefly. Keep a cold damp towel handy to set the pan on if it heats too quickly.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store crumble and custard in separate airtight containers.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze unbaked or baked crumble. Do not freeze the custard as it will split upon thawing.
Reheating: Reheat crumble in a 180C/350F oven for 15 minutes to recrisp the topping. Warm the custard very gently on the stove over low heat, stirring constantly.
