Apple crumble is one of our favourites but it can be a little sad when the crumble top goes soft, absorbing too much of the moisture from the fruit below.

So here’s the solution:
— bake the fruit and crumble top separately!

This way you can prepare the crumble top and fruit at any time of the day ready to be eaten when you’re ready and not lose any crunch from your crumble.

• Serves: 6-8
• Oven temperature: 180C (160C fan forced)
• Cooking time: 10-15 minutes
• Pan: 1 baking tray

Ingredients
Crumble top:
90g cold unsalted butter (straight from the fridge)
½ cup self-raising flour
¼ cup The Sugar Breakup Dextrose
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup shredded or desiccated coconut
½ cup hazelnuts (or any nut you like) roughly chopped

Fruit:
6 apples* (Wait up! Fruit has fructose sugar, is it ok to eat fruit?)
Natural yoghurt to serve

The Method — Go get that Crumble!

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. If not using a non-stick tray line the baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
2. Dice the butter, place in a bowl and add the self-raising flour. With your fingertips rub the butter and flour together. The mixture will be thick and buttery.
3. Add The Sugar Breakup Dextrose and again using your fingers rub the dextrose, butter and flour together.
4. Add oats, coconut and chopped nuts. Continue using your hands to mix the oats, coconut and nuts through the buttery mixture. It should be a chunky biscuit-like dough.
5. Spread dough onto the baking tray and place in oven.
6. After 5 minutes, remove from oven and use a spatula to break up the dough, return to the oven.
7. After another 5 minutes check again, if golden brown remove from the oven or break up the dough again & allow another 5 minutes cooking until golden brown.
8. When golden brown remove from the oven and allow to cool on tray. Once cool you can use your hands to break up the crumble further.

Chunky Apples
The apples in our crumble are chunky, with skins on, and still have some bite.

1. Quarter your apples, removing seeds and cores.
2. Cut each quarter into 4 chunky pieces.
3. In a large saucepan add water to cover 1cm of the base of the pan, cover and bring to the boil then turn down to a low heat until just boiling.
4. Add apples & cover with lid.
5. Cook for 5 minutes. Check apples, if they are slightly soft but still have their shape remove from the heat. If they are too firm cook for another 5 minutes and check again. Cooking times can differ depending on type of apples used.
6. Once apples have achieved desired softness, remove from heat.
7. Use a slotted spoon to gently remove apples from saucepan into a bowl, leaving behind excess liquid.

Putting your apple crumble together
As this is a “deconstructed” apple crumble, go wild and layer the apples, crumble, and yoghurt anyway you like!

We’ve gone old school in a wine glass layering the apple, yoghurt, then crumble on top.

Handy Hints
What type of apple should I use?
Apple varieties differ in firmness and sweetness. Granny Smiths can have thicker skins, a tarter taste and flesh that stews very easily (and quickly), making them excellent for pies.

But for this version of apple crumble we used Royal Gala apples. Their skin cooks well, their flesh remains firmer when cooked and they are not too sweet.

Choose your preferred apple but remember each variety cooks slightly differently. Or go raw! Finely dice or grate your apples for a fresh crumble filling.

Wait up! Fruit has fructose sugar, is it ok to eat fruit?
If your crumble is for 6 people then each serve is equivalent to one serve of fruit per person so leave the skin on to maintain the fibre.

Return back to the recipe.