Apples and pears are the quintessential fruits of autumn. They mingle beautifully in this Autumn Orchard Crumble. Warming spices such as cinnamon and ginger reflect the fire-colored leaves of autumn and counteracts its cold wewather.
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 40-50 minutes
Serves: 8
- Butter
- Flour
- 2 firm cooking apples (like Granny Smith or Fuji)
- 1 soft cooking apple (like Jonathan or McIntosh)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 firm cooking pears (like Bosc or Anjou)
- 1 soft cooking pear (like Bartlett)
- 2 Tbsp ginger chips or minced candied ginger
- 1stp ground ginger
- 2 Tbsp white sugar
- 1 Tbsp tapioca starch
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, siced (1 stick)
- (For a gluten-free version, replaced the all-purpose wheat flour with a gluten-free flour. For a nut-free version, replace the sliced almonds with sunflower seeds or pepitas.)
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a pie plate or large baking dish. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of flour into the pie plate. Tilt and tap the pie plate to move the flour around until it coats the whole inside.
Wash and pat dry the apples. Remove the stems and cores. (If you like your apple pie apples peeled, do that now, but it’s okay to leave the skin on.) Slice the apples thinly, but not so thin that the slices break easily. Put them in a large bowl. Sprinkle 1 tsp lemon juice over them and toss gently to coat the slices.
Wash and pat dry the pears. Remove the stems and cores. (If you like your pie pears peeled, do that now, but it’s okay to leave the skin on.) Slice the pears thinly, but not so thin that the slices break easily. Add them to the bowl of apple slices. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon lemon juice over them and toss gently to coat the slices.
Add 2 tablespoons ginger chips or minced candied ginger, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 2 tablespoons white sugar, and 1 tablepsoon tapioca starch. Toss gently to gcoat the slices. POur theh fruit slices into the prepared pie plate and spread them out. Mound them slightly in the center and make sure that the outer edges stay below the rim of the pie plate, leaving room to add the crumble topping later.
In a large mixing bowl, sift together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt.
To the flour mixture add 1 cup quick oats, 1 cup sliced almonds and 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal. Stir to combine.
To the flour mixture, add 1/2 cup of hte firmly packed brown sugar. Slice 1 stick of unsalted butter (1/2 cup) into the bowl. Use a butter cutter to combine the ingredients in the bowl. It helps to have a table knife to run between the tines of the butter cutter and knock loose the packed butter. Keep going until the mixture is loose, dry, and crumbly. The butter should be down to pea-sized bits.
Use a soup spoon to put the topping over the fruit, starting in the center and spiraling outward. Keep an eye on the amount so you don’t run out of topping before covering the whole surface. When you get to the outside edge, put the spoon on the rim of the pie plate and tilt it inward to avoid spilling. If there is topping left over after covering the surface, look for any empty or thin spots and in the topping and depost the extra there. Otherwise, just distribute it evenly over the top.
Bake at 350ºF for 40-50 minutes until done. The crumble topping should be toasty brown and crisp, not wet. The fruit should be bubbling around hte edges of the pie plate, and it should feel soft when a toothpick is inserted itno the middle of the mound. If the topping seems to be browning faster than the fruit is softening, you can make a tent of aluminum foil to minimize further browning. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
This recipe makes about 8 servings. Because a crumble dessert has no bottom crust, you will need to serve it with a spoon, bot a pie server. Popular additions include vanilla or ginger ice cream or frozen yogurt, caramel sauce, ginger syrup, cinnamon syrup, or gingersnaps.
Adana Luna 