Apple Crumble - Early 90s style

My passion with cooking, recipes and food all started with a weighing scales and a very dodgy apron. Thinking about as to the when and how I really don’t know but I am guessing it was starting with Pancake Tuesday when you would try your best to eat as many pancakes as you could and of course eventually you were allowed to make your own. This then moved onto a baking obsession as a kid. For me at the time I was either outside playing football or inside baking. 



I think it also definitely stemmed from the fact that my Dad has a love for cooking and when he could did the majority of the cooking in the house as my Mum was not a huge fan of it so I guess I thought it was just normal. 

 I found this very dodgy photo of myself in action, not overly sure why I would share this but hey it was the early 90s here…..

Some time ago I stumbled onto an old handwritten recipe book of mine; I remember I had to write it for Home Economics class in school. The copybook still has flour and butter stains from back in the day & has a couple of classic recipes: one is a rich shortcrust pastry & a pancake recipe. The last one being the easiest recipe you will ever find for an apple crumble.
 
What I do differently than here in Holland is that I stew the apple first – also there is no cinnamon and definitely no raisins thrown in. 

Ingredients 
6 Apples – Cooking apples or Granny Smiths
Handful of sugar 

150g plain flour
75g softened margarine/butter
50g sugar

Cooking utensils
Saucepan for apples
Fruit peeler
Baking dish
Large bowl for mixing crumble
Sieve

Preheat oven to 190C

Apples

-    Peel and core all your apples

 -   Finely chop up your apple pieces and place in a saucepan of cold water
-    Now empty the water from the saucepan – to stew apple properly, the apples need to be moist & wet for them to stew properly

-    Sweeten your apples and place the saucepan lid on and turn on to a low to medium heat

 -   The apples will take 15-20 minutes to cook so remember to check and stir every 5 minutes
-    If apples are too sour to your taste you can always add more sugar throughout the process

Crumble
-    Sieve your flour into a large mixing bowl
-    Add your softened margarine/butter

-    With the tips of your fingers mix together until you create a crumble
-    Add 50g sugar

Assemble

-    To assemble place the stewed apple in an oven dish and pour your crumble over the top ensuring the crumble is evenly distributed
-    Bake in the centre of a preheated 190C oven for 35 minutes

-    Serve hot with ice-cream, cream or custard 

Dutch it up - add cinnamon & raisins to your apple.....

ENJOY!!!