Pink Lady Apple Crumble

It’s that time of the year again – its autumn, temperatures are dropping and the veld slowly but surely changing from green to orange to pale gold. We probably won’t be getting any more rain until spring so the dam’s water level is dropping. But of course, every season is stunning in its own way. This season, however, is perfect for something warm and comforting – the first thing that came to mind was apple crumble with loads of cinnamon. More specifically, Pink Lady apple crumble with a buttery, shortbread crumb and caramelized apples. With its warm spices, it is perfect for these cool mornings with tea or to end off a dinner party with coffee. Now this crumble was actually inspired by autumn, not in it that it necessarily represents autumn, but rather complements it. However, I love this crumble so much, that I very often also make it during the summer, only served with ice cream instead of cream.

So what makes an apple crumble a special apple crumble? Well firstly, I think carefully and purposefully selecting the type of apple is really important – just as it is important to select the right potato for making fries or mashed potato. Think about it. If you’ll be using something like a Top Red or a Royal Gala that is both sweeter and softer in texture, you’ll want to reduce the amount of sugar and cooking time. The opposite is also true, if you’ll be using a Golden Delicious or Granny Smith that is more tart and firmer, you might want to increase the amount of sugar and the same for the cooking time.  In this recipe, I used Pink Ladies. I think they provide the perfect balance between tartness and sweetness and also in texture. Whenever I can’t find Pink Ladies, I also use the yellow Opal apple.

Secondly, the crumble. Although there are many different recipes for toppings, I prefer the more traditional golden-brown shortbread type. I think it is the simplicity here that really makes it a timeless classic. If there were to be a secret here, I’d say it is the lemon zest and good quality butter.

Lastly, however not any less important, is the apple caramel. This is the heart of the crumble and you want it to be thick, dark and rich. I find that cooking the apples, sugar and cinnamon low and slow is the way to go here. By cooking the crumble this way, the apples sort of “steam” at first, allowing the juices to cook into the melting sugar and the apples to become soft and tender, before starting the caramelization process. What you’ll be left with is an almost amber caramel that is luxurious, yet balanced by the freshness of the apples and lemon juice. I must admit that this is not an overly sweet crumble; I think balance is key.