The cooler weather is on its way and I can’t wait. It’s the perfect season for comfort food — think bubbling casseroles and warm, comforting desserts. To welcome the chill, I’m sharing a simple and delicious Caramel Apple Crumble that’s perfect for chilly evenings.
Tart green apples coated in a rich caramel, topped with a buttery cinnamon biscuit-style crumble: every spoonful is pure comfort. Serve it with thickened cream or classic vanilla ice cream for a truly indulgent dessert that quickly becomes a winter favorite.
For this recipe I make a quick caramel by combining sweetened condensed milk with treacle. If you prefer, you can use ready-made canned caramel instead.
INGREDIENTS
8 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cubed
395 g sweetened condensed milk (1 can)
1/4 cup treacle
1/2 cup plain flour
1 cup quick oats
50 g butter, cubed and softened
1 tsp ground cinnamon
METHOD
- Place the prepared apples in a large saucepan with 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally so the apples don’t stick. Remove from heat and drain off most of the liquid.
- Meanwhile, whisk the sweetened condensed milk and treacle together in a medium bowl to make the caramel.
- In another bowl combine the flour and oats. Add the softened butter and rub it through the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in two tablespoons of the caramel to bind the crumble mixture slightly.
- Fold one-third of the caramel into the warm apples until evenly coated.
- Transfer the caramel-coated apples to an ovenproof dish (about 20cm x 20cm).
- Spoon the remaining caramel over the apples in dollops so it melts into pockets as the dessert bakes.
- Evenly scatter the oat-and-flour crumble over the top and finish with a light sprinkle of ground cinnamon.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 15 minutes, or until the crumble is golden and the apples are bubbling.
Allow the crumble to rest for about 5 minutes before serving. It’s delicious with a drizzle of thickened cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat gently before serving, or enjoy it chilled.
Serves 6
