Apple Crisp

Method

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1. Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F and butter a 2.5 litre baking dish.

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2. Toss the apples with the brown sugar, cornflour, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until every piece is coated, then tip into the dish and level.

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3. For the topping, mix the oats, flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon, then rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until it clumps in pieces the size of hazelnuts. Stop while it is still ragged.

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4. Stir through the nuts and scatter the topping over the apples, leaving it loose rather than pressing it down — air between the clumps is what makes it crisp.

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5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until the topping is deep gold and the fruit juices are bubbling thickly up around the edges.

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6. If the juices are still thin and watery at the edge, give it another 10 minutes: the cornflour needs to reach a bubble to thicken.

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7. Rest 20 minutes before serving, so the filling sets enough to spoon rather than run.

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Chef’s Tips

• Mix your apples if you can — a couple of Bramleys collapsing into sauce among firm Braeburns gives you both texture and body.
• Cold butter, cold hands, and stop rubbing early. Overworked topping bakes flat and greasy.
• The topping can be made ahead and frozen loose in a bag, then scattered straight from the freezer.

Pairing Suggestions

• Vanilla ice cream
• Cold pouring cream
• Custard

Storage & Reheating

Covered in the fridge for 4 days. Reheat uncovered at 180°C for 15 minutes to bring the topping back; a microwave will make it soggy.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.