The Sobremesa 08.

let's talk about apple crumble

In continuing our series on Foods We Are Inclined To Eat In The Fall, I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about FREAKING APPLES!

Ah, apples. We actually eat you all year round, but come Fall, we really really really wanna eatcha. Example - when passing through my local farmer’s market this weekend, there were the usual suspects : the Frumpy Cheesemongers, the Bored Bread Bakers, the Veggie Hustlers, and then……….the Chirpy Upstate Apple Heads. Their stand had tables and tables and tables of apples. Red ones, green ones, yellow ones. Oh boy. And let me tell you, there was a line stretching around the corner for these. Apple szn, baby!

Compared to the pumpkin obsession, I actually really get the apple obsession. They’re in season! They taste amazing! And they’re not being sold in a chemical version by Starbucks (well …someone fact check that).

And you know what else is in season? ¡PIES! Come Thanksgiving, it’s the terrifying/exciting (I have mixed feelings) time of the year at Baked&Wired where I stay up for 24 hours + making everyone else’s Thanksgiving delicious dessert. Yes, it’s as wild as it sounds. FYI - Stay tuned for November’s Sobremesa all about pie + cray cray stories I have to share from what happens when you stay up 24 hours making hundreds of pies!

We’re a month out from Thanksgiving, so ¡PIE! is not a triggering word yet. I’m just making ‘em as I feel like making ‘em, just *one* at a time, with seasonal ingredients, and without the constant beeping of timers, or pumpkin purée splattering in my eye, or my arms getting burned the eff up from rotating them every 30 mins (did I mention pies were triggering for me?)

Anyway, Tim’s momma brought us a bunch of these no-name Farmers apples from Maine (all I know is that they are white in the middle, red on the outside, and super smooth and sweet). Yes, I could just eat them straight up. Gladly! But I can’t help myself. I must honor them by making a full-on dessert with them. Plus, there were tons of them and they were about to go bad in that drawer in the fridge where you forget you put stuff.

SPOILER - we’re not making an apple pie today, because it’s a wholeeee thing. Homemade pie dough, while using very simple ingredients, is very technique-driven. It’s a daunting task to take on (which is why you all keep me busy baking 400 each Thanksgiving). I totally think everyone can make it, but you gotta get the mindset right and get ready to actually get your hands in some dough. Plus I gotta figure out how to show you through words and visuals. Today is just not the day. But, we’ll get you there, I promise!

So let’s warm you up with a nice and chill Apple Crumble. I love this recipe because you don’t have to stress about making a pie dough, and it’s just a few simple ingredients I’m sure you already have in your kitchen. It’s sweet, crunchy, delicious, and actually gets better and better over a few days (and you know I’m a sucker for desserts that last a long ass time).

Ingredients

Filling

6 apples, peeled and cut into 7-8 slices, I generally like to use granny smith because the tartness balances the sweetness of the crumble well, but use whatever apples you like! Make your farmers market proud!

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Crumb Topping

1 cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour (I use whole wheat because I like the nutty flavor)

1/2 cup sugar

Sprinkle of kosher salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) of slightly cold butter, cut into cubes

Let’s goooo!

Peel and slice your apples. If you’re an animal like me, then gnaw on the cores for a lil snack. If you’re doing this in advance, sprinkle your cut apples with some lemon juice. This will stop them from browning.

Mix the flour, sugar and salt.

Add the butter. Using both hands, squeeze the flour/sugar mixture into the butter repeatedly in each hand (actually squeeze and release) until all of the flour/sugar mixture is incorporated into the butter and there aren’t any “dusty” bits left. You want to have some nice big clumps of crumb topping. Make sure you eat some crumbs, ya know, to “test” it **wink**. If this part is kind of confusing for you, I get it! Check out my Instagram Stories for a tutorial! @thesobremesa_

In a separate bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon.

Lay half the apples in a dish. I used a 9” Pyrex, but any smaller baking dish will do.

Sprinkle half the sugar/cinnamon mixture on top of the apples. Then layer the other half of the apples. Then top with the remaining sugar/cinnamon.

Add the crumble on top.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 mins, or until the crumbles get nice and toasty.

Let the crumble sit for at least 4 hours so the juice has time to soak back into the apples. Otherwise it’s going to be quite soupy.

And there you go!

I’m privy to just eat this straight out of the Pyrex with a fork but, if you want to really turn up, serve with some good ole’ vanilla ice cream.

Happy Baking. Love ya mucho,

Tessa