Give this classic British recipe a boozy twist by adding a Calvados custard.
Ingredients
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped
- 1 Cox apple, peeled and chopped
- 1 /2 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 2 tbsp golden caster sugar
- Butter
For the topping:
- 50 g1¾ oz butter
- 100 g3½ oz flour
- 100 g3½ oz golden caster sugar
- 2 tbsp muscavado sugar
- 15 g½ oz almonds, toasted
- 15 g½ oz walnuts, toasted
For the custard:
- 100 ml3½ fl oz milk
- 100 ml3½ fl oz double cream
- 1/3 vanilla pod, with the seeds removed
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 tbsp golden caster sugar
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 1 tbsp calvados
- A sprig of mint to decorate
Method: How to make Apple crumble with Calvados custard
Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
Melt the butter in a pan with the star anise and cinnamon to infuse, add the golden caster sugar and apples and cook over a low heat until the apples are soft but not mushy, this should take around ten minutes. While cooking, stir every few minutes to prevent them sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Transfer the apple pulp into individual bowls and allow to cool slightly.
To make the crumble, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles very coarse breadcrumbs. If you rub it too much the crumble will not be crunchy. Add the sugar and toasted nuts and stir to combine. Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the slightly cooled apple and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
To make the custard, heat the milk, cream and vanilla pod together in a pan. Whisk the egg yolk with the sugar separately then add the milk mixture to it, then put it back in the pan over a gentle heat with the cornflour to thicken. It will be ready when it can cover the back of a spoon. When it is thick add the Calvados and cook through.
Serve over the baked crumbles with a sprig of mint on top.
