Apple Crumble with Custard

Two things separate a good crumble from a sandy one: cold butter rubbed in only until the mix looks like coarse breadcrumbs, and apples with enough acidity to survive the sugar. A mix of cooking and eating apples gives you both texture and flavour.

1. 1

   Toss the apples with the caster sugar and cinnamon and pile them into a baking dish. They sink a lot, so heap them high.

   For this step

   • 700 g cooking apples
   • 300 g eating apples
   • 0.25 cup (50 g) caster sugar
   • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
   • 0.5 cup (110 g) demerara sugar
   • 3 tbsp (38 g) caster sugar
2. 2

   Rub the cold butter into the flour with your fingertips until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Stop there, do not go to a dough.

   For this step

   • 1.5 cups (190 g) plain flour
   • 0.5 cup (113 g) cold butter
3. 3

   Stir in the demerara and oats, then scatter the mixture loosely over the fruit. Do not press it down.

   For this step

   • 0.5 cup (110 g) demerara sugar
   • 0.5 cup (45 g) rolled oats
4. 4

   Bake at 190C for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is golden and the fruit bubbles up at the edges.

5. 5

   For the custard, warm the milk, whisk the yolks with the sugar, pour the hot milk in slowly while whisking, then return it to the pan.

   For this step

   • 0.25 cup (50 g) caster sugar
   • 0.5 cup (110 g) demerara sugar
   • 2 cups (480 g) whole milk
   • 4 egg yolks
   • 3 tbsp (38 g) caster sugar
6. 6

   Stir over low heat until it coats the back of a spoon. It must not boil. Pour it over the crumble while everything is hot.

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