Clem's Apple Crumble
 
 

Apple with pastry is made into various dessert standards. There is apple pie, strudel, Danish, and then there is the crumble. All have cooked apple slices or pieces within some form of dough. In the case of the crumble, apple pieces/slices are topped with a crumbly topping of flour and sugar.

Here's how to make an apple crumble:

 


Clem's Apple Crumble served with Vanilla Ice Cream

 

1. Ingredients
 

For the crumble (topping):
Note that the quantity of topping needed depends on the amount of apples used for the filling.
Make enough to cover the entire top of the apples after they are loaded into a baking receptacle (I used a loaf tin).
The quantity also depends on how thick a topping you like with your crumble.
Some people like the topping thin, and others thick.

  • 100 g plain flour.
     
  • 55 g of sugar (use Brown if you want a darker topping as I did).
     
  • 65 g of unsalted butter.
    Cold and cut into small cubes.
     
  • A pinch of salt.
     
  • A dash of vanilla essence.
     

For the filling:
 

  • 6 - 8 medium-sized apples.
    Use either a tart or a sweetish apple as you desire.
     
  • Sugar (brown of white) to taste.
     
  • 1 - 2 tablespoons of plain flour (thickener).
     
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder.
     

 

 

2. Method

 

  • Peel and core the apples.
    Cut them into slices or pieces as you prefer.
     
  • Add some butter to a frypan and partly cook the apple with your chosen amount of sugar, flour thickener and cinnamon powder.
     
  • Place the apple into a baking receptacle (a loaf tin is ideal for a small quantity) and set them aside to cool.
     
  • To the weighed amount of plain flour, add the salt, vanilla essence and cubed unsalted butter.
     
  • Use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour until a dry sandy texture is obtained.
    If the mix is still wettish/oily, add small quantities of additional flour until that sandy texture is obtained.
    Your topping will be crumbly is there is a sandy texture.
     
  • Top the apples in your baking receptacle with the topping mix until sufficient thickness to your desire is layered.
    Gently press down of the topping.
     
  • Bake the assembly at 180oC or 160oC if baked in a convection oven, for some 45 minutes.
     
  • Note that the crumbliness of the topping will be largely determined by how high a temperature and for how long it has been exposed to it.
    The sugar in the topping caramelizes within the flour matrix to form the crumb.
    No matter whether crumbly or crackly, the resultant mouth-feel will still be crunchy.
     
  • Serve hot (this will be when the topping will be at its crumbliest - when melted sugar cools down, it hardens) with warm or cold cream, warm custard, or Vanilla Ice Cream.
     

 

ENJOY!

 

 

All my cooking (some without recipes) can be found here (click on each photo to go to that dish's page):

 

http://clemkuek.com/photoalbum/photo696.html

 

Video presentations can be found here:

Clem cooks

 

 

www.clemkuek.com

 

26 October 2025
 

 



Created by Clem Kuek