A favourite warming pudding in most British households, often following a Sunday roast, is the apple crumble. I’m taking the basic recipe and adding in a couple of healthy additions. The oats give the crumble extra fibre and protein, and ginger, aiding digestion, brings warmth to the tangy soft apples along with the other dried spices. Add a creamy topping of your choice, and this apple and ginger oat crumble is simply Autumn comfort in every spoonful.
Seasonal simplicity
I’m surrounded by Bramley apples right now! Every dog walk I go on, I pass by houses in our area with a bucket or bag of apples saying ‘help yourself’. This is one neighbourly favour I don’t need to take advantage of, as I’m still working my way through 2 carefully stored boxes of apples from my parents. Primed and ready to see me through the Winter months with apple sauce to accompany roast pork, or to use in this apple & ginger oat crumble recipe.
Turn up the warmth
I’ve added dried ginger to the crumble topping, as well as fresh ginger root to bring a subtle spicy kick to the sweetness of the apples. Not only does it amplify the warmth of the dish, but ginger is well known for aiding digestion. So it not only fills your kitchen with wonderful aromas, but it’s gut-friendly too.
Oats so good
Oats are a great addition to our diet. They are especially beneficial during perimenopause and menopause because they support balance, blood sugar stability, heart health, digestion and mood.
Oats can also promote better sleep as they contain tryptophan, an amino acid that supports the production of serotonin and melatonin – two hormones involved with our sleep regulation. As a slow-release energy source, they also help to keep blood sugar levels stable overnight and reduce the chances of waking up as energy levels dip.
Other oat recipes
For another sweet treat, try this simple recipe for Oat Cookies.
This dessert reheats well. Just be sure to cover the dish tightly with foil so you don’t overcook the topping and reheat at 140 degrees C.
Crumble is a very adaptable dish, and you could do a number of flavour combinations with different fruit:
– Apple and blackberry
– Apple and plum
– Apple and pear
– Apple and mixed berries from the freezer
Cook the apples as per the recipe, and stir in the additional fruits at the end. Fruits such as berries, pears, and plums, are a lot more delicate than apples.
To store Bramley apples, wipe them clean, ensure they are dry, then wrap individually in newspaper. Very gently place the apples in a cardboard box, any knocks at this stage will turn your apples bad. Store in a cool, dark place – the garage is perfect – and they should last 4-5 months. This won’t work for any apples that have fallen from the tree. They need to be picked to minimise the bruising.
Apple and Ginger Oat Crumble
Equipment
- Medium oven-proof baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 kg Bramley apples approximately 6 apples
- 1 tbsp sugar add extra to taste if you have a sweeter tooth
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 100 g butter or coconut oil if you wish
- 100 g soft brown sugar
- 150 g oats GF if required
- 100 g plain flour GF if required
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180 °C
- Peel, core, and cut your apples into large chunks – 4cm/1.5” – you want them to remain chunky so they don’t disintegrate when cooking.
- Put the apple in a pan with the finely chopped fresh ginger and 2 tablespoons of water. Put a lid on and cook gently on a medium heat for 5-7 minutes, giving it the odd stir. You want the apples to soften at the edges slightly but not overcook. If you need to, add another tablespoon of water. When ready, pour the apples into your baking dish and sprinkle with the dried cinnamon.
- Place the butter and sugar in a small pan and melt gently until the sugar has dissolved.
- Weigh the oats and flour into a medium mixing bowl. Add in your nutmeg and dried ginger. Stir in the melted butter and sugar, and mix everything well.
- Top your apples evenly with the oaty mixture and place in the middle of your oven to cook for 40 minutes.
- Leave to stand for 15-20 minutes and then serve still warm with either crème fraiche, double cream, vanilla ice cream, or, if you’re really British, some custard!.
Notes
- This dessert reheats well. Just be sure to cover the dish totally with foil so you don’t overcook the topping and reheat at 140.
- You could do a flavour combination of fruit if you wish. The following combinations are all good. Be sure to cook the apples by themselves and stir in the additional fruits afterwards, as fruits such as berries, pears, and plums are a lot more delicate:
- apple and blackberry
- apple and plum
- apple and pear
- apple and mixed berries from the freezer
