Apple Crumble

It has been a long time since I have been able to get to Charlotte & Spice! The culprit?!! Home improvement! It all started Labor Day weekend when I painted the kitchen. We are now in the middle of installing hardwood floors throughout the first floor...kitchen included! Needless to say that the house has been totally disorganized since we have started this project!

Instead of thinking out meals, I was scheming to get dinner at friends!!! Thanks you guys! And when dinner was at home anyways, it was ordered in or frozen pizza, or pasta with store bought sauces! Lame!!!

It seems though that life at the Steven's is getting back to normal and I have resumed cooking.

Fall is here with its temperamental weather, its incredible colors, especially here in New England, the World Series, Football and ...cooking indoors! Now is time for stews, crumbles, roasted meats and vegetables, soups...

And I am going to start with dessert!

Fall is Apple Season. Had we not been so taken by the wood floors, we would have gone apple picking. So many varieties are grown around here. My favorite apple is the MacIntosh, firm and juicy. I use it in most desserts as it cooks without getting mushy. I often mix it with the Macoun, a bit sweeter.

A wonderful pairing for the apple is the Cranberry, widely available on the Cape, as it is produced here. Its tartness balances the sweetness of the apples and they look like red jewels hidden in the crumble!

Apple Crumble

8 Macoun apples
8 MacIntosh apples
1 tsp ground Jamaica Allspice
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 cups fresh Cranberries


Crumble:
1 1/2 cup all wheat flour
2 sticks butter, room temperature
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3/4 cup oats
1 cup walnuts, crushed


Preheat the oven at 320F.

For the crumble, mix together the butter, flour and sugar until blended. Add the oats and the walnuts. Set aside.

Peel and core the apples. Cut them in small pieces. Sprinkle with the brown sugar, the cornstarch and the Allspice. Mix well. Add the cranberries and mix.

Transfer the apples in baking dish, sprinkle the crumble over the apples and bake for about 1 hour, or until bubbly.

Serve warm or at room temperature, by itself or with Vanilla ice cream!