olive oil apple crumble

A crumble is simple yet feels special. It’s the answer to the bag of apples sitting on your counter or the overzealous amount brought home from apple picking. It’s also perfect for a crowd, still warm from the oven and spooned into individual bowls. Most often, it’s what I throw together when the craving hits for an apple-y something after dinner. I usually make a crumble for two, halving the amount below and eyeballing the amounts for the topping. This crumble topping is a blend of gluten-free flour, almond meal, and oats, and it comes together with olive oil instead of butter. It’s a softer crumb than a traditional apple crisp, as there’s no butter or gluten. You can use whatever apples you have, but I like Granny Smith for tartness or Honeycrisp. Just ensure your apples are firm, as soft, mealy apples make for mushy crumbles! My favorite way to have it is warm with a scoop of creamy ice cream - but a bowlful for breakfast is also very delicious.

ingredients:

filling:

5 large apples – a bit more than a pound (whatever variety you have) 1 tbsp lemon juice ¼ cup brown sugar pinch of sea salt a couple dashes of cinnamon

crumble:

½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats   ½ cup almond flour  ¾ cup gluten-free flour  ¼ tsp cinnamon ⅓ cup brown  sugar ⅓ cup olive oil  pinch of sea salt 

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375° F. Add the lemon juice to a 9-inch pie plate or a 9-inch baking dish (a little bigger or smaller is fine). Peel and core the apples and cut them into thin ⅛ inch slices. Place the sliced apples in the dish and toss with the lemon juice, then add the brown sugar, a couple dashes of cinnamon, a pinch of sea salt, and gently mix. You can do this all in a separate bowl and then transfer it to the baking dish.

 Step 2: In a medium-sized bowl, add the rolled oats, almond meal, gluten-free flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, sea salt and mix well. Drizzle in the olive oil and gently stir through. Use your hands to combine the ingredients till the topping comes together in a loose, soft crumb. Top the apple filling with the crumble, creating an even layer overtop the entire dish.

Step 3: Place the dish in the centre of the oven for about 45 mins. The crumble is done when the filling is bubbling up around the edges, the apples are fork-tender, and the topping is brown and toasty. If the apples need more time and your topping is getting too brown, cover the dish loosely with foil. Alternatively, if your apples are done, but the top hasn’t browned enough, turn up the heat to 450° F for 5ish minutes (watch carefully!). When done, remove the crumble from the oven and let it rest for about 30 mins. I love to serve this with scoops of ice cream. It’s the coziest thing with a cup of tea. Enjoy!