Family Sharing Apple Crumble Recipe

Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Lightly butter a large family-style baking dish (about 10x14 inches / 25x35 cm) or two 9x13-inch pans.

Peel, core and slice the apples into 1/3-inch (8 mm) thick slices. Place them in a very large mixing bowl.

Add granulated sugar, light brown sugar, lemon juice, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, cornstarch and vanilla extract to the apples. Toss gently until apples are evenly coated and the sugar/cornstarch mixture clings to the slices.

Taste one slice for sweetness and adjust with up to 2 tablespoons more granulated sugar if your apples are tart. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to macerate; this releases juices that will thicken when baked.

Transfer the apple mixture into the prepared baking dish, arranging evenly. Dot the top of the apples with the 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter cut into small pieces.

In a large bowl combine the all-purpose flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon and sea salt. Stir to blend.

Add the cold, cubed unsalted butter. Using a pastry cutter, two forks or your fingertips, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. This will create a crunchy, slightly chunky crumble.

If using nuts, fold them into the crumble mixture now.

Evenly distribute the crumble topping over the apple filling in an even layer, ensuring edges are covered to prevent juices bubbling over. Gently press down in a few places so some crumble makes contact with the juices for a crisp-crunch contrast.

Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any overflow. Bake in the preheated 190°C (375°F) oven for 40–50 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown, the juices are bubbling around the edges and the apples are tender when pierced with a knife.

If the topping is browning too quickly while the filling isn’t bubbling yet, loosely tent the dish with foil and continue baking until bubbling.

Remove from oven and let rest on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving family-style. This helps the juices thicken slightly so servings hold together better.

Warm the milk and cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles form at the edges and steam rises; do not boil. If using a vanilla bean, split it and scrape the seeds into the milk, then add the pod as well. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes to infuse vanilla.

While milk steeps, whisk the egg yolks, granulated sugar, cornstarch (if using) and salt together in a heatproof bowl until pale and slightly thickened.

Remove vanilla pod from the warmed milk. Gradually temper the yolks by ladling about 1/3 cup of the warm milk into the yolks while whisking constantly to raise their temperature without scrambling. Repeat with another 1/3 cup, then slowly pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining warm milk while stirring.

Return the saucepan to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (about 5–8 minutes). Do not let it boil.

Once thickened, remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract if you used extract instead of a bean. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a jug to ensure smoothness.

Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and let cool slightly. Keep warm in a thermos or gently rewarm before serving, or chill and gently reheat; serve in jugs alongside the warm crumble.