After a year of eating mangosteens, sugar apples, papayas and pineapples to my heart’s content in Vietnam, the fruits I grew up with have lost their appeal. Over a week ago, I bought a few pounds of apples with the intention of consuming them raw, but found myself avoiding them everyday. Apples go down a lot easier when they’re covered in a sugary and buttery crumble. Problem solved.
For topping
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose or whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and softened
- 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
For filling
- 3 pounds Granny Smith and Braeburn apples (6 to 8), cored and cut into 1-inch chunks (peel optional)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Make topping
Mix the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt together. Add the butter and toss to coat. Pinch the butter chunks and dry mixture between your fingertips until the mixture looks like crumbly wet sand. Add the nuts and toss to incorporate. Refrigerate the topping for at least 15 minutes before baking.
Make filling
Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the apples, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest together and place in an 8-inch-square (2 quart) glass or ceramic baking dish or 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Distribute the chilled topping evenly over the fruit.
Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is deep golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Serves 4 to 6.
Adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
