The baking process is crucial to achieving a crisp and non-soggy texture. To ensure your fruit crumble turns out perfectly, it's essential to bake the filling and the base separately. This step is vital because it allows the fruit to cook and release its juices while preventing the base from becoming saturated and soggy.
Cornflour is used in this recipe to thicken the fruit filling as it cooks. Corn flour acts as a natural thickening agent when combined with the juices released by the fruit during baking. The cornflour works its magic as the pie bakes, thickening the fruit juices and ensuring a cohesive and flavorful filling.
How to make apple and raspberry crumble
Ingredients
700g large pink lady or Granny Smith apples unpeeled, cored, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups frozen raspberries, thawed
1 1/2 Tbsp cornflour
1 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp finely grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Vanilla custard, to serve
PASTRY
3 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp sea-salt flakes
250g cold butter, cubed
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 free-range eggs
1 free-range egg, extra, beaten, to brush
CRUMBLE TOPPING
1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
100g cold butter, cubed
Method
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To make Pastry, put flour, baking powder, sugar and sea-salt flakes in a food processor. Pulse to remove any lumps. Add butter, pulse for 20 seconds or until breadcrumb-sized pieces form. With motor running, add vanilla bean paste and eggs; pulse until dough comes together. Turn out on a clean, lightly floured work surface. Shape into a disc. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
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Grease and line base and sides of a 22cm round springform cake pan. Preheat oven to 160°C fan-forced (180°C conventional). Put a baking tray in oven to preheat.
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On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry to 3mm thick. Cut a disc large enough to line base of cake pan and ease into base of pan. Cut strips from remaining dough and press around sides (this dough is very forgiving and you can press away any mistakes!). Trim edges to level to the top of the pan, reserving offcuts. Freeze pastry case for 10 minutes.
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Re-roll pastry offcuts to 3mm thick and cut out decorations using small leaf or star stamp cutters. Put on a baking paper-lined oven tray and brush with a little egg. Refrigerate until required.
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Combine apples, raspberries, cornflour, cinnamon, brown sugar, zest and juice in a large bowl. Fill pastry case with apple mixture. Put pan on preheated oven tray (the preheated tray helps the base crisp). Bake for 1 hour or until apples are tender and pastry is crisp. Cool for 1 hour in pan.
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To make Crumble topping, line an oven tray with baking paper. In a food processor, pulse flour and sugar to combine. Add butter and pulse for 10 seconds or until breadcrumb-sized pieces form. Transfer to prepared tray. Bake crumble and tray of pastry cutouts for 12-15 mins until golden (at the same oven temp, 160°C fan-forced (180°C conventional)). Cool completely.
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Sprinkle pie with crumble, top with pastry cutouts. Serve with custard.
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