Easy Apple Crumble

So I'm presuming everyone is watching the Olympics? I learnt something pretty cool today. Currently Australia has three medals. Two of these were won by students who attend my university. We're not the biggest university in Australia, and we're not considered the best university in Queensland, purely because we're not as old as some of the others, and we're not a super expensive, private uni. I left home to attend this uni, but it's still considered the best in the state.

But I love it here. And it's really cool to think that if QUT was a country, we'd be 11th.

My favourite events are the swimming, diving, rowing and obviously, the tennis. So, if Lochte and Phelps could just injure themselves, not seriously or anything, just for one race, Australia would really appreciate it. I really want Eamon Sullivan to win gold. Just once. And of course, Andy Murray totally deserves to win gold in the tennis.

So I thought today would be a great day to post this apple crumble. It is incredibly easy to make - it is by far the easiest recipe I have ever used. This is one of the first recipes I have posted which I never really altered from its source. I want to make it perfectly clear that this recipe is very slightly adapted from one of my favourite magazines, Super Food Ideas. Credit goes to Cathie Lonnie.

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Average Cost: $

Main Ingredients: apple, oats, brown sugar

Menu Options:  You can add other fruits to this – pear, strawberry, peach, rhubarb – anything works.

Source: Super Food Ideas, July 2012, Issue 138

Serves 4 – 6, depending on your serving size. Nutritional stats calculated based on serving six, and custard/ice cream not included in stats.

What you need:

-          4 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into eights

-          1/3 cup caster sugar

-          1 tbsp lemon juice

-          2 tbsp cold water

-          1/2 cup self raising flour

-          1/3 cup plain flour

-          1 tsp ginger

-          100 g butter, chopped

-          2/3 cup rolled oats

-          1/2 cup brown sugar

-          Custard or ice cream, to serve

What to do:

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius and grease a large oven-proof pan.

In the greased pan, combine chopped apples, caster sugar, lemon juice and cold water. Make sure the apples are coated in the sugar mixture. Cover the pan with foil and bake in the oven for 25 minutes until the fruit is soft and just tender.

While the apples are baking, sift the flours and ginger into a large bowl. Place the chopped butter in the same bowl and using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. It is ok if there are still butter clumps in the mixture, just make sure they are coated in flour.

Add the remaining ingredients (though not the custard/ice cream) and mix well with a wooden spoon.

Remove the apples from the oven and throw away the foil. Cover the slightly soft apples with the crumble mixture. Bake in the oven again for 25 minutes. The crumble should be golden brown and not floury, and, if you are using a glass pan, you should be able to see the apples slightly bubbling.

Serve warm with custard or ice cream.