i used to make this as a comfort food when i was in NYC .. i forgot how good it was, since i haven’t made it for a long time! over the weekend, i passed by a dessert place where they had a big pie of apple crumble on display. right away, i kept tasting it in my mouth. so last night, i decided to make my version of apple crumble (believe me, my version is always easy-peasy!) despite of my dire need of resting. i figured, my body would need it to keep me rested and better from a week-long cough & cold.

good thing i picked up a packet of granny smith apples on my visit to the grocery store on sunday. so right away i made myself busy in the kitchen, while naia also helped preparing the crumble.

here’s what you need to do to make my version of apple crumble. this recipe is actually a combination of many recipes i’ve encountered in the past years. there are plenty versions of making apple crumble, but after testing and playing with the ingredients, i finally come up with my own version, the easy version and taste just as good. i don’t usually use the exact amount of ingredients to cook, so what i am sharing below may a bit off here and there, but please make your own modification.

so, here’s how you make my version of apple crumble. good luck!

ingredients:
- 4-6 granny smith apples or any cooking apples. best you choose the firm/crunchy one, not those squishy red apples.

- 1 cup of sugar. you can use granulated or brown. i prefer to use brown sugar for better caramelizing.

- 100-125gr of butter. room temperature, do not melt.

- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder or vanilla essence, whichever one you have in your kitchen.

- 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)

- 2 cups of flour. all purpose or self-raising flour, any kind will do. again, whichever you have in your kitchen.

- 1/2 cup oats/granola (optional)

directions:
1. first, peel the apples and core them. cut them in squares and put it in a pan. cover the apples with 1/2 cup of sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon powder and 1 tbsp of butter. cover and let it stew over a low heat. make sure you check and stir with wooden stick to avoid any burning. if a lot of liquid forms, take off the cover and let it caramelized and the apples soften (usually takes abt 30 minutes).

2. once the apples are soften, take off the heat and let it cool. mash the apples with your wooden stick, but not too much. you do not want a puree. once they are mashed (or if you prefer whole, you can also do that, skip the mash step), place them in the bottom of the baking dish.

3. preheat the oven 150C, then prepare the crumble. put in a large bowl the rest of the butter, sugar & flour. try to put the flour little by little then mix with fork or with your hand. you can put in the oats too. mix until the texture becomes crumble-like. if it’s still soft, you may add more flour until the right crumble is achieved.

4. place the crumble on top of the apple filling, do not press down. just distribute them equally on the baking dish. pop in the oven for about 30 minutes. let it cool and serve with vanilla ice cream or cream.

easy, right? but definitely super yummy!! you can also use other fruits like cranberry or blueberry or even pears to replace the apples. just use your imagination. enjoy..