Apple Crumble

Apple crumble- it's a delicious, fruity and an old-style dessert that is real comfort food on a cold Winter's night. Apart from using apples, other fruit (or canned fillings) can be used such as rhubarb, cherry or peaches to make this crumble.

Ingredients

4 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 8 wedges or 800g tinned apples
¼ cup, white sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup plain flour
½ cup, firmly packed brown sugar
100g chilled butter, chopped into small cubes
¼ cup rolled oats
Vanilla ice-cream, to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Place the apples into a lightly greased 1.5L (6-cup) capacity oven-proof dish. Combine the white sugar and cinnamon powder in a bowl and mix until well blended. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the apple slices in the baking dish and combine well.

Combine the flour, brown sugar and butter in a food processor and pulse briefly, or rub with your fingertips, until the mixture resembles very coarse breadcrumbs. Put this mixture in the freezer for 10 minutes, or if making ahead, in the fridge until you're ready to bake (this step improves the texture of the crumble topping, feel free to omit this step if you're pressed for time).

Scatter the crumble mixture evenly over the apples. Sprinkle with oats if using.

Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until apples are tender when poked and the topping is golden brown. Spoon the apple crumble into serving bowls. Serve with vanilla ice-cream.

Notes & Tips

Have fun experimenting with different ingredients in your Apple Crumble. Try these ideas:

Add frozen blueberries or raspberries to the apple.
Replace the apple with fresh in-season fruits or drained canned fruits.
Use 800g can baker's apple if fresh apples unavailable
Try adding nuts such as pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts, in the crumble.
Try adding dessicated coconut

Pork Steaks with Spicy Apples

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil
4 red apples (such as royal gala or pink lady), cored, quartered, thinly sliced
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch cayenne pepper
4 tsp brown sugar
4 pork chops or pork steaks
1 broccolini or green beans to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the apple and cook, turning occasionally, for 3-4 minutes or until golden. Add the cumin, cinnamon and cayenne pepper, turn apple to coat. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 2-3 minutes or until apple is just tender. Sprinkle over the sugar and stir until sugar melts. Transfer the apples to a plate.
   
2. If required, heat another 2 tsp oil in the pan, season the pork steaks then add to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until cooked through. Move the steaks to one side of the pan and add the apple mixture. Cook for 1 minute or until heated through.
   
3. Cook the broccolini or beans in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 2 minutes or until bright green and tender crisp. Drain well.
   
4. Place a pork steak on top. Spoon over the apples and serve with the broccolini or beans.

Notes & Tips

For a milder dish, omit the cumin and cayenne pepper from the apple.

Cumin & cinnamon pears with pork: Replace the apples with 2 beurre bosc pears, halved, cored, cut into wedges.

Apple Tarte Tatin

This classic French dessert is essentially an upside down apple tart in which the apples have been caramelisd in butter and sugar before the tart is baked. It's absolutely delicious, and is always a great dessert to eat after a meal.

Apple tarte tatin has to be made using firm dessert apples or they will turn into a soft mush after the cooking process. I've also made this tarte tatin using firm, slightly under ripe pear with good results.

Ingredients

3 golden delicious apples
1 tbs lemon juice
½ cup caster sugar
50ml water
20g unsalted butter, chopped
1 ready rolled puff pastry sheet
1 egg
1 tsp milk
Ice cream or cream, to serve

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 220°C.
2. Peel and core apples, cut into 6-8 wedges, and toss the wedges in a large bowl with the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the sugar.
3. Using a 20cm frying pan as a guide, cut pastry into a circle slightly larger than the pan, prick all over with a fork.
4. Melt butter in a 20cm non-stick frying pan over medium high heat. Cover with remaining sugar and water. Cook over medium-low heat, shaking pan occasionally to spread around any dark spots that appear, until a rich caramel forms.
5. Place apple wedges into pan, rounded side down, arranging them around pan. Cut remaining apple to fill gaps. Cook the apples over medium heat for about 10 minutes until caramel is bubbling up in the pan, shaking pan occasionally to prevent burn spots.
6. Lay the pastry over the apples, tucking it in around the edges, and brush the pastry top with a little of the egg mixture.
7. Place the pan in the oven, cook for about 25 minutes, or until the puff pastry has risen and cooked. The pastry should be dry and flaky. Stand tart in pan for 5 minutes before carefully turning out onto a serving plate. To turn out your tart, carefully place a plate on top of your frying pan and, using an oven cloth or glove, put your hand on top. Being very careful, as there will be hot liquid caramel around, quickly flip the tart over on to the plate.
8. Serve with cream or ice cream.