What is crumble

The crumble is a traditional dessert from the English cuisine which is made with a layer of fresh fruit covered with a dough of flour, butter and sugar and baked in the oven. When baked, the fruit softens and the top layer becomes crunchy, as if it were a broken cookie dough.

Although the best known is the apple crumble or apple crumble It can also be prepared with other fruits such as strawberries, red berries, peaches...

The origin of the crumble is humble, as it was created due to rationing in England during World War II. However, it is now a very common dessert in Anglo-Saxon cuisine, especially during the autumn, the best apple season. There is a very similar dessert in American cuisine called apple crisp (apple crisp).

Ingredients (4 persons)

• For the crumble:
• 300 gr flour
• 175 gr of brown sugar
• 200 gr cold butter (unsalted)
• a pinch of salt
• For the filling:
• 450 gr of apples, peeled and diced
• 50 gr of brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• a pinch of cinnamon powder
• To accompany:
• vanilla or cream ice cream

Preparation of apple crumble or apple crumble

Prepare the crumble

To make the crumble, put the flour (300 g) and sugar (175 g) in a bowl and mix well. Gradually add the butter in small cubes and continue mixing with your hands until you get a dough similar to crumbs, with small pieces and larger ones.

Preparing the apples

Peel the apples, remove the core and cut them into small cubes (about 1 cm);">about 1 centimeter). Then put them in a bowl and sprinkle over them the sugar (50 gr), a tablespoon of flour and the cinnamon powder. Mix everything well, being careful not to break the fruit.

Baking the apple crumble

Butter a baking dish (about 24 cm) and spread the chopped apples. Add the crumble mixture on top, covering all the fruit. Bake (with the oven preheated) at 180ºC for about 40 minutes, until the crumble is golden brown and the apple is bubbling.

What to serve with apple crumble

We recommend serving the hot apple crumble with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or cream. If you have a sweet tooth, you can also add a little syrup or caramel and other toppings, such as chopped almonds, on top.

Tips for a perfect crumble

• By adding a spoonful of flour to the fruit, it absorbs the liquid that may be released by the apple and thus does not reach the top layer of the crumble, preventing it from becoming soft and crunchy.
• Adjust the amount of sugar to the need of the fruit. In the case of apple, as it already has a sweet taste, it is not necessary to add much sugar. However, if you replace it with other acidic fruits, you will have to increase the amount of sugar.
• If you want to give a different touch to the crumble layer, you can add more ingredients to the crumble mixture, such as oat flakes, chopped nuts, chopped cookies...
• Remember to respect the baking times and let it bake until the top layer is completely done and dry, otherwise it will not be crispy.

More crumble recipes

Although apple crumble is one of the most common, it can also be prepared with other fruits, such as strawberries, mango, peaches, grapes...

Strawberry crumble

Eva Arguiñano proposes a strawberry crumble, a slightly more acidic fruit that needs more sweetener. Take advantage of the strawberry season to prepare this version.

Plum crumble

In this version of the English crumble, Bruno Oteiza chooses to use a different seasonal fruit, claudia plums, and adds a special touch to the crunchy dough by adding hazelnuts.

Have you already tried the apple crumble Share your recipe in the Cooking Community.