My tips for the ideal apple crumble

I would like to start this blog post off by saying that I actually really do not like apple crumble, which is weird considering I like the flavour of the actual crumble and apples, but I don't like them together. I'm not even sure what it is about them that I don't like; I just know it isn't for me. However, I still make it because people in my family really enjoy it, and I've been told by numerous people that it was the best crumble they've ever had; I know this is true, as, unfortunately, my family is extremely honest about my baking. So I think I have sufficient credentials to make some recommendations.

The recipe that I use has been adapted from the recipe available on the BBC website, and I am by no means a professional baker; I purely enjoy doing this as a hobby, and so it's something I want to talk about, as what else would a blog be for!

    What to buy

When I buy my ingredients, I'm actually not too picky about where I get them from and usually go to multiple shops. I first started baking when I was still at sixth form, so tended to buy ingredients before going home, which usually meant I was buying things from Tesco, but I don't think there's much of a flavour difference between brands. I always buy whatever is cheapest.

For a basic apple crumble, all you need are apples, brown sugar, unsalted butter (though I find no flavour difference in using salted butter), plain flour, and salt. But obviously some of these are better when you buy certain kinds; for example, the type of brown sugar you buy. I tended to just buy the light brown sugar just because it was normally the one that was on the left, and hence the first one I saw, but when you do some research, the type of sugar you pick is actually meant to make a big difference.

The recommended brown sugar for crumbles is demerara sugar; it's also ideal for mixing into hot drinks! Essentially, demerara sugar is (allegedly) the most unprocessed sugar you can buy, meaning that it still contains a high molasses content, which gives it that darker colour. A greater amount of molasses gives it a somewhat toffee or caramel flavour (especially compared to caster sugar, which has all of its molasses content removed), but it also has more trace minerals and a higher moisture level. The minimal processing also means that demerara sugar has larger crystals than other sugars, which works well for aesthetics when sprinkled on top of things such as cakes, but also gives the crumble a crunchier texture. So I think this type of sugar is one that I'll be sticking to in future. For a crunchier texture, I also normally add a pot of Quaker Original oats, which also has the benefit of added fibre, and I've heard adding Honey Nut Crunchy Nut cornflakes is also meant to be a nice addition! Obviously if you don't have a nut allergy.

And the most important part of an apple crumble: the crumble filling. When I was looking into what recipe to use before making my first apple crumble, I saw a single Reddit comment saying the best apple crumble they ever had had nine different types of apples, and suggested that more apple types meant a more delicious crumble. Hence, when I make crumble, I tend to use three or four types. I think the staples that I always look for are Granny Smith and Pink Lady apples. Both Granny Smiths and Pink Ladies keep their form even after being cooked, but whilst the Granny Smiths go tart and crisp, the Pink Ladies are naturally acidic, which means they supposedly help balance the crumble's sweetness and tartness. Any other apples I add are just the side show. I tend to go for Braeburn, Bramley or Gala apples (I always pick one as I can very rarely find them in anything other than packs of six, and I only need one), but you can pick whichever ones are your favourite, but never omit the Granny Smiths. I think Galas are a good staple too though as they go quite sweet when baked, and Bramleys can give a nice soft and fluffy texture to the filling if that's something you like. For some more added flavour, for 450g of apples I also add a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon.

    When actually baking

I think that crumble is one of the easiest things to bake, but it has a lot of tedious cutting. I always like to cut the butter that I'm going to use in the crumble into small little cubes, as I find it makes the whole rubbing part of the crumble-making much easier. I have also perfected my apple cutting; once I core it, I begin to cut the apple into very thin slices (like 1cm thin, not paper thin) before cutting it in half long ways, then into little strips the other way.

I also find that 45 minutes is a good time for the crumble to be in the oven for; I've never had one burn at all having it in for that long, but obviously that will depend on your oven and your crumble. Definitely begin checking on it after 40 minutes. I always use a glass dish as whilst you can obviously see on the top whether the crumble has browned or not, I also like to see whether or not the apple filling has begun to bubble yet, as that's when I know it's truly done. If your oven is also narrow like mine, or if you struggle picking up baked dishes, I would recommend placing the baking dish you're using onto an oven tray, as I find them much easier to pick up; otherwise, my hand would be caressing the walls of the oven.

I'm not sure if these tips are in any way helpful. But hopefully they were; I always get compliments on my apple crumble!