Apple Crumble

I know it’s hot now… but it wasn’t last week when I made this. Actually the evenings here aren’t too bad! Well, Maddox’s favorite apple is Granny Smith, so I always have them on hand. I wanted a no-fuss, yummy recipe and this is what I picked from my “Cook’s Illustrated” cookbook. Normally, I’m apple crisp kinda girl because I love oatmeal, but this was soooo delicious. Primarily though I love the method. If you have a good apple crumble type recipe, use this method! Wow, the topping is 50 times better made this way than thrown on top. The topping isn’t mushy, but crispy and a great contrast to the mushy apple underneath. I dirtied up one more dish – my silicone mat – but it was worth it!

**Updates**
1. I made Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread into muffins and mini muffins and they were really good! I like that better than a bread I think. It made it easier for the kids. Muffins took 20 minutes. Minis took 14-16 minutes.
2. Made gingerbread men cookies again. One tried to shoot me! LOL

Apple Crumble
yield 6 servings

Topping:
1 cup AP flour (5 oz or 4.25 oz King Arthur brand)
1/4 cup + 1 Tb. granulated sugar, divided
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
6 Tb butter, soft and cut up
1/2 cup sliced almonds (I used pecans chopped up)

Filling:
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
4 tsp. lemon juice
3 lbs of apples, cored/peeled/diced 1/2″ pieces, I used Granny Smith (half Granny and half Golden Delicious is also yum!)
2/3 cup sugar
pinch ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8×8 or 9×9 glass pan with parchment paper. Adjust the oven rack so that one rack is low and one is in the middle.
2. For the Filling: In a great big bowl, mix the cornstarch, lemon juice, apples, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Let sit.
3. For the Topping: Food processor way: Put the flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt and vanilla in the food processor and mix for a few seconds. Drop the butter around the food processor. Pulse until it becomes doughy and crumbly. Put the nuts on top and process again a couple times.
Non-Food Process Way: Mix the flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt and vanilla in a medium bowl. Drop in the butter and mix gently with your hands like making biscuits. Crumble the butter between your fingertips. Once a dough forms, throw in the nuts and mix in with your hands one last time.
4. Now here is the cool part: Put the apple mixture into the prepared pan and cover with foil. This will go into your bottom/low rack. Put the topping on a cookie sheet lined with silicone or parchment and put that on the middle rack. Bake 15 minutes.
5. Remove foil from the apple mixture. Take out your topping and break it up with your spatula. Then grab your silicone or parchment and dump it gently onto the apple mixture. Bake uncovered like this for about 30 minutes.
6. Let cool a little and eat! Or put some ice cream on it…