Yum
Takes about 40 minutes, Serves 6So the base of this was a Williams-Sonoma recipe, and the style of crumble they were going for, I'm calling a "dry" crumble. It's not that this recipe itself is too "dry", otherwise I wouldn't be sharing with you guys, but instead it's a kind of apple crumble that isn't cooking the apples first into an apple pie kinda filling before topping with crumble and baking. Instead, this recipe just has you putting raw apples under some crumble topping and baking. I don't think one is better than the other, instead I think they both serve a purpose. This version, while I think would be delicious as a more traditional crumble dessert, is geared towards a quick, no-muss-no-fuss version. The same flavors (with a five spice twist!) while taking about half the normal cook time as a traditional version.
So the big twist here, Chinese Five Spice. If you're unfamiliar, Chinese Five Spice is a spice blend that is prevalent in a lot of Chinese cuisine. While ingredients may vary (and may actually have more than five spices) the typical Five Spice blend combines Cinnamon, Cloves, Star Anise, Sichuan Pepper and Fennel. The amount we're adding in here isn't enough for you to super notice every flavor that Five Spice brings to the table, but it's enough for you to realize this isn't your normal fall spice mix. Try it out for a very simple twist on a classic flavor profile!
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Ingredients
2 lbs. apples (preferably Granny Smith, McIntosh, Pink Lady)
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp White Sugar
1 tsp. Chinese Five Spice Powder
1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
3/4 Cup Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar (packed)
1/3 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Walnuts (finely chopped)
6 Tbsp Butter (melted)
1/4 tsp. Salt
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Directions
1. Preheat Oven to 375 degrees F and make sure there is a rack in the center of the oven. Lightly butter or grease a 10-inch Pie Dish or 9-inch square baking pan or dish. Peel and Core apples.
2. Dice apples into about one-inch cubes. Transfer to medium sized mixing bowl.
3. Add lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, five spice and vanilla to the apples, use a spoon or rubber spatula to stir apples until all are evenly coated.
4. In a separate medium bowl, add oats, brown sugar, flour, chopped walnuts, salt and butter. Use stirring spoon, fork or rubber spatula to combine everything. Try to incorporate all dry ingredients with the butter, so that there is no completely dry parts left.
5. Take your apples, add them to your greased baking pan/dish of choice. Then take your bowl of crumble topping and lightly coat the top of the apples until there is a cohesive and even coating. Try to cover everything.
6. Bake! Apples should be fork tender and crumble topping should be browned. Takes roughly 35-45 minutes, check at 30 minutes.
7. Enjoy!
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Tips/Tricks
If you find that Five Spice isn't your thing, you could easily substitute with Pumpkin/Apple Spice powder, or 1/4 teaspoons of Nutmeg, Clove, Allspice and increase cinnamon to 1 1/2 teaspoons.
Different apples give different flavors, and you can experiment with a combination of apples. The only real requirement is that it has to be an apple that is considered a "baking" apple so that it will hold up when under heat. I used Pink Lady's because that's what I had on hand, but usually a Granny Smith is my go to. Honeycrisp are great if you can get them, but they are so expensive I often lean towards not using them in baked goods.
Top with whipped cream or a good Vanilla for a sublime time. One better, drizzle some good quality caramel sauce on top too!
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