Apple Crumble with Maple, Oats and Walnuts

Tuesday 5 October 2010



Ten years ago when I moved over here to the UK, I brought with me on the airplane a huge 2 gallon drum of Maple Syrup . . . one of the things that I thought I would miss the most from home.



I had to change planes at Heathrow to catch one up to Manchester, and let me tell you . . . it was a very long walk through the airport to change terminals carrying those two gallons . . . thankfully a gentleman took pity on me about halfway there carried it for me the rest of the way . . .



Maple Syrup was a precious and expensive commodity over here back then, and very rare . . . It is a lot more common nowadays, if still expensive, but a little bit now and again is good for my Canadian soul . . . if you have never tried an egg poached in Maple Syrup . . . you just haven't lived! (tis not just for pancakes you know!)



Apples, Oats, Walnut and Maple Syrup . . . what a beautiful combination . . . a delicious combination that positively screams autumn to my heart!!!



Every bite brings the sweet/tart tang of meltingly soft apple, along with the whisper of maple and the buttery crunch the brown sugar topping.

Back home I would have had this with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream melting down into it's warmth . . . here I eat it with lashings of double cream . . .



It would seem that I am becoming more and more British as time goes by!

Try it, you'll love it!



*Apple Crumble with Maple, Oats and Walnuts*
Serves 8
Printable Recipe

Maple, apples, walnuts and oats . . . not strictly British flavours, but oh so yummy.

8 tart/sweet apples, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch wedges
(Use a mixture. I like Granny Smith and Pippins)
2 ouces of Maple Syrup, preferably grade 2 amber (1.4 cup)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 ounces of walnuts, toast and coarsely chop (1/2 cup)
5 ounces soft dark brown sugar (about 2/3 cup)
2 1/2 ounces plain flour (1/2 cup all purpose)
1 1/4 ounce whole wheat flour (1/4 cup)
6 TBS unsalted butter, cut into bits
3.5 ounces of rolled oats (about 1/2 cup)

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Place the apple wedges into a large baking dish and toss together with the maple syrup, the nutmeg and half of the cinnamon. Scatter the walnuts over top.

Stir together the brown sugar, plain flour,whole wheat flour, remainder of the cinnamon and brown sugar. Mix well. Drop in the butter bits and then rub them into the flour mixture with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in the oats with your fingers. Scatter in clumps over top of the apples.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the topping is nicely crisped. If it browns too quickly then you may loosely cover it with some foil, uncovering it for the last 5 minutes of baking time.

*Note to self - Strepsils cool and Apple Crumble are not flavours that go well together. Must make again when I don't have the flu . . .

20 comments

  1. I love maple syrup on my oatmeal. With creme too of course. Sometimes I can't wait for breakfast like in a few minutes, and have it before bed.

    I would be just like you, trotting my food favs across the Atlantic: Maple syrup and Nova Scotia apples. I don't know what it is. There are other apple growing regions in Canada but the apples are not comparable. A Gravenstein from the Okanagan is not the same as the Annapolis Valley Gravenstein. Now I'm going to sob for a bit.

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  2. I love maple syrup with all my heart! One of my favorite things in life...and paired with oats and apples? Straight from heaven! Thanks for sharing this beautiful recipe with us, dear friend!

    I sure hope you're feeling better today, Marie! Lots of love sent your way...

    Julie

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  3. Your crumble looks delicious! I am very interested to hear how exactly one goes about poaching an egg in maple syrup! Very interesting!

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  4. The problem with living in many places is that you will always miss something. I'm sure once I leave Alaska I will miss the Halibut, Salmon, Lingonberries, and Cloudberries. For now I take them for granted and spend my time missing the Michigan Apples, Maple Syrup, the Pacific Northwest Peaches, Clams, and Blackberries and the Taco Trucks of Southern California.

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  5. Great comment Nicole. So true.

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  6. BIG YUM! One of our autumn favorites. I've not made it yet--must do! LOVE your recipe, Marie. :o) Hope you will be feeling better very soon! LOVE YOU LOTS ((BIG HUGS))

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  7. Çok güzel, çok leziz ve iştah açıcı görünüyor. Ellerinize, emeğinize sağlık.

    Saygılar.

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  8. I haven't tasted the maple syrup but I am sure that it makes this crumble so nice. Have a nice day!

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  9. Hi Marie! That dratted
    computer pixie is gone and
    I'm back and l o v i n g all
    of your fall recipes. This
    one sounds so good, in fact,
    that I will make it tonight
    and surprise my kids : ) I
    love the surprise of the maple
    syrup and I'm sure it will make
    it exceptional!!
    xx Suzanne

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  10. ANYTHING with Maple syrup makes my heart sing..This looks grand!

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  11. Ohh I've never added maple to a crumble before but I can imagine it working so well with the apples and walnuts. Yum!

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  12. Un postres super tentador. Rico, rico.

    Saludos

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  13. I always have apple pie for my birthday but I think this year I will have to add an apple-crumble birthday breakfast. This is glorious.

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  14. Oh I have to agree: Rico, rico.

    Marie, you know such fab people.

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  15. Marie I know this is hardly fair, but I have an applesauce cake question. You've got two posts here, but I'm afraid you'd miss my question if I put it there back in time.

    How can I adapt that recipe to use whole chopped apples rather than applesauce? It is apple season, and I am the lucky recipient of three bags full. FULL.

    The other question is do you think I can use apples that appear to have some blight, here and there?

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  16. I want to come and live at your house!!!! YUM!

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  17. This looks incredible. I LOVE oats in crumble ( I thought only my Mum did that!)

    I just worked out how to do apple crumble in the slow cooker
    http://slowcookedinblighty.blogspot.com/search/label/dessert

    so might try it again but with these flavours. Needed something special for the in-laws this weekend...

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  18. An egg poached in maple syrup! Why haven't I heard of that before? Here I am in Southern Ontario with jugs of local syrup and I've never thought to use it for poaching. I spent a few years making my own syrup out in the backwoods ( http://www.globurban.com/gohunt/maple.htm and http://www.flickr.com/photos/deafdj/sets/269772/ ). Like Debbie's request, can you post about poaching with maple syrup, please!

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  19. When does the other half of the cinnamon go in? To the topping? Thanks, looking forward to trying!

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  20. Yes, Amaha, it does go in with the other topping ingredients. I have amended recipe to reflect this. Well spotted! Thanks!

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