Use Granny Smith apple for making an apple crumble, as they have less juice and they are firmer. You may need more apples, depending on the size of your baking apples. Make sure the apples fill about three-quarters of your pan.
You can also sift the ingredients together into a bowl, but whisking is faster.
Make sure your butter is firm and cold before you start using it to incorporate it to get a crumbly shortbread texture. If you use your hands, be sure not to overwork the butter or it will become soft and hard to work with. Try to keep your hands cold and work quickly.
You may want to set a baking sheet below the apple crumble in the oven. This way the sheet will catch any drips from the bubbly apple crumble.
Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. Apple crumble will keep a few days, but may lose its crisp texture.
Frozen fruit can also be used in crumbles. Don’t thaw before covering it with crumble topping. Simply top and bake.
Remember to keep some flour in your topping, even when using oats. Flour acts as a binder and keeps the topping together. It will also help soak up juices from the fruit.
Make sure nuts are well mixed into the crumble topping. If simply scattered over the topping, they’re likely to burn.
You don’t have to stick to vanilla ice cream. Apple crumbles work well with caramel or dulce de leche ice cream.
