Apple Crumble Recipe

I did a whole slew of baking over the holidays, like a Chocolate Orbit Cake,  Italian Macaroons, Almond Tart and Tang Yuan (hey, it's a festive season in the lunar calendar too...). And today, I made with an apple crumble for today's gathering. Sorta today. 

The best thing about this recipe is that the topping remains crisp for ages, baked or unbaked. You can double the recipe and keep the remainder in a zip-lock bag in the freezer for a couple of months. It also can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week. And it couldn't be easier to make too. I whizzed everything up in a food processor the night before, and simply took the topping out of the freezer and baked it during the meal.  

The topping remained crisp and crunchy even as the caramelised sauce from the fruits bubbled up and around it. And I'll imagine the topping would make a wonderful base for a de-constructed cheesecake as well.  

Crisp Topping

Original recipe by David Lebovitz
Makes for 9-inch, 1L pie pan.

I halved the recipe because this amount is all that my home food processor can handle. The original quantity for the topping can be found in the link above.  
This recipe makes 1 topping for a 1L, 9-inch pie pan. But the topping should take to different pie pans well because the topping can be spread out more or less as you like. 

I used semolina instead of polenta. The semolina may also have been passed its Best Before date. But it turned out as good as my previous attempt. I know I know... It's my frugality. I'm working on it... 

55g flour
45g coarse polenta 
40g almonds or walnuts (No need to toast)
45g packed light or dark brown sugar (or cassonade)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
55g unsalted butter, well-chilled

In a blender or food processor, pulse everything except the butter, until the nuts are in smaller pieces. Scrap down the bottom and sides a couple of times. 

Cut the butter into chunks and pulse in the machine until the butter is finely broken up and the mixture no longer looks sandy and is starting to stick and clump together.

Done. At this point, you can store the mixture in a zip-top freezer bag for a month or two, or refrigerate it for up to one week.

Fruit Recipe

Okay, fine. I scrolled through some recipes online and improvised here, and it turned out pretty well. 

3 green apples, cored and diced
2 red apples, cored and diced
2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamom

Preheat oven to 175 C.

Toss the apples, sugar and cinnamon together. 

Distribute crisp topping over prepared fruit and bake until fruit is bubbling and cooked underneath, and the topping is deep-golden brown, about 20-30 minutes at the bottom rack. 

(Plunge a sharp paring knife in the fruit to feel if it’s cooked through.)