APPLE APRICOT CRUMBLE WITH OATS AND PECAN STREUSEL TOPPING

By Meeta K. Wolff 

Prep Time: 30 min
Total Time: 1 hour 45 min
Makes: 1 shallow oveproof pie/tart dish or 2 smaller 20cm pie forms

Ingredients

Topping

• 65g flour

• 45 g rolled oat flakes

• 110 g pecan nuts, coarsely chopped

• 100g brown raw sugar

• 70 g butter, softened

Filling

• 6 medium crisp and tasty apples with a good balance of sweetness & acidity

• 95 g dried apricots, roughly chopped

• 1 organic orange, zest and juice

• 100g muscovado sugar

• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• pinch of sea salt

Method

1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 180° C. Butter one large baking dish or two smaller ones.

2. To make the topping: combine all ingredients and mix well. Transfer to a freezer bag and put in freezer till you make the filling.

3. To make the filling: in a medium saucepan, combine orange zest, juice and chopped apricots. Bring to a simmer and cook until the apricots are soft. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl mix sugar, vanilla paste and cinnamon. Halve and core apples. Cut in roughly bitesize chunks. Add the chunks to the bowl and toss apples with sugar, vanilla paste and cinnamon. Sprinkle cornstarch over apples and give another mix through. This binds the juices of the filling once it starts to cook. Stir in apricots and juice from the saucepan.

5. Scrape mixture into the buttered dish (or dishes) and spread evenly. Distribute the crumbly topping evenly over apples. Bake until crumble is browned on top and juices are bubbling and thickened. If you are making this in one large dish it should take about 1.5 hours. If you are using two smaller pans it will take roughly 45 minutes to an hour. Serve warm or cold.

NOTES

• Choose the Right Apples: Select apples that hold their shape well during baking and provide a good balance of sweetness and tartness. Popular choices for baking include Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or a mix of different varieties.

• Experiment with Spices: Besides cinnamon, feel free to experiment with other spices like nutmeg, cardamom, or ginger. These can add depth and complexity to the flavour profile.

• Prevent Soggy Bottoms: To avoid a soggy bottom, consider baking the crumble on a preheated baking sheet. This helps the bottom of the dish to cook faster and crisp up.

• Pair with Ice Cream or Whipped Cream: Serve the crumble with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of freshly whipped cream to add a creamy and indulgent element.