Autumn baking: Classic apple crumble with almonds and cinnamon
If you’re looking for a cosy dessert that makes the most of seasonal produce, you can’t go wrong with a classic apple crumble. Because even though the summer sunshine might be fading, the warmth that comes from a homemade dish more than makes up for it.
Early autumn is the best season for British apples like Bramleys, and the tart flavour really shines through in this simple crumble. The flaked almonds add a nice bit of extra texture, while the cinnamon gives the whole dessert a gentle warmth that tells you autumn has truly arrived.
Serves 6 | Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: 30 minutes
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 kg apples (Bramley works best; but you can also use a mix of cooking and sweet apples)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 2 tbsp water
- Sugar or honey to taste, if your apples are particularly sharp
For the almond crumble topping
- 175 g plain flour
- 100 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 75 g golden caster sugar
- 50 g ground almonds
- 25 g flaked almonds
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Method
1. Prepare the apples
Peel, core and slice your apples. If you're using a mix of cooking and eating apples, add them to a wide pan with the water and cook gently over a medium heat for around 10 minutes, until the cooking apple has softened and gone fluffy and the eating apple just holds its shape. Bramley-only crumbles don't need precooking - the apple will soften perfectly in the oven.
Stir in the allspice and cinnamon. Taste and add a little sugar or honey if the fruit is too sharp. Transfer to a lightly buttered ovenproof dish.
2. Make the crumble topping
Put the flour, ground almonds, cinnamon and sugar into a large bowl and mix together. Add the cold, cubed butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse, damp sand with some pea-sized lumps still visible. Don't overwork it. Scatter the flaked almonds through and mix briefly.
If you have time, put the topping in the fridge for 20 minutes before using it. A chilled topping crisps up better in the oven and holds its texture once baked.
3. Assemble and bake
Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan). Spread the crumble topping evenly over the apple filling. Bake for 30 minutes until the top is golden and you can see the filling bubbling up at the edges.
4. Serve
Leave it to rest for five minutes before serving. Reach for cream, custard or vanilla ice cream - the choice is yours!
Shining a spotlight on local British ingredients
Good quality, local ingredients can elevate even the simplest of recipes. Proper butter is essential to getting the right crumble texture, and the British-grown apples from our local producers are delicious all year round, but taste their absolute best while the season is at its peak.
Find all your basic baking ingredients over on Daily Essentials, and shop fresh fruit and veg from our greengrocer on Best of Local.
