Quick and Easy Apple Crumble

This is entirely based on my fruit hating (yes – actual hate) son and Dame La Aga’s dramatical tendencies (don’t cook won’t cook…or just burn).

Ingredients:

• 4 large cooking apples, 5 eaters peeled, cored and chunked (app 3cm not too big to be “real” (my son) and will cook quickly)
• 2 tbsp golden caster sugar then throw on Demerara sugar and Muscavado sugar – douse the apples!
• Ground cinnamon – to taste – which for us is about two teaspoons!

For the crumble

• 175g plain flour
• 150g golden caster sugar and a cheeky tablespoon of muscovado sugar
• 150g cold salted butter
• Cinnamon again to taste (we just sprinkle across the top)
• A sprinkle across the top of crunchy Demerara sugar half way through cooking (otherwise it burns)

Method

• STEP 1 Heat the oven to 190C/170 fan/gas 5 if you don’t have a temperamental Aga.
• STEP 2 Toss the chopped up apples with the mix of sugars in a baking dish and put in a 26cm stoneware dish at least 10cm deep.
• STEP 3 Pop into the top of the Aga, straight onto the floor of the top roasting oven and ask nicely if she will cook it for ten minutes.
• STEP 4 After 10-15 minutes slot onto top second shelf of the roasting oven.

• STEP 5 Put 175g plain flour and 150g golden caster sugar in a bowl.
• STEP 4 Slice in 150g cold salted butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like moist breadcrumbs. Alternatively, pulse in a processor. This will stick slightly as it is so buttery but this is what my children demand in order to consume ghastly apples!
• STEP 5 Pour the crumb mix over the apples to form a pile in the centre, even out then sprinkle over cinammon.
• STEP 6 Cook in middle of top oven for 15 minutes then add just a bit more sugar (demerara as above).
• STEP 7 Cook for another 10-15 minutes but maybe move the shelf down depending upon how aggressive your Aga is!

Cover in thick gloopy custard (!) and intone “One of your five a day, one of your five a day”. Enjoy xxx