Dutch Apple Crumb

Serves: Makes one 8” Square Baking Dish

Ingredients

Apple Filling
2 ½ pounds tart apples (about 5 medium).  You can use a single variety like Granny Smith, or if you want a deeper flavor, you can use a blend of Jonathan & King David Apples.
2 pounds semi-sweet apples (about 4 medium).  You can use a single variety like McIntosh, or if you want a deeper flavor, you can use a blend of McIntosh and Winesap.    
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons homemade apple pie spice blend (see instructions below)
⅛ teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup heavy cream

Homemade Apple Spice Blend
Blend with a fork in a bowl then save the excess. 
4 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom

You can assemble this spice blend from pre-ground spices, but to zhuzh up your flavors you should grind these from whole spices.  This extra step can be transformative in the quality of your finished dessert.  In particular: cardamom and nutmeg. Nutmeg is easily ground on a microplaner. You can buy whole cardamom seeds already husked and crank them through your spice grinder (aka 2nd coffee bean grinder)!  

Streusel Topping
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon homemade apple pie spice blend (see above)
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Steps

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. FOR THE APPLE FILLING:
   • Peel, quarter, and core apples; slice each quarter crosswise into pieces 1/4-inch thick.
   • Toss apples, sugar, apple pie spice blend, and salt in a large bowl to combine.
   • Heat butter in a large Dutch oven over high heat until foaming subsides; add apples and toss to coat.
   • Reduce heat to medium-high and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until apples are softened, about 5-10 minutes.
   • Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until tart apple slices (Granny Smith) are tender and sweet apple slices (McIntosh) are softened and beginning to break down, about 5 minutes longer.
   • Set a large colander over a large bowl; transfer cooked apples to the colander. Shake the colander and toss apples to drain off as much juice as possible.
   • Bring drained juice and cream to boil in the now-empty Dutch oven over high heat; cook, stirring occasionally until thickened and a wooden spoon leaves a trail in the mixture, about 5 minutes.
   • Transfer apples to an 8-inch square baking dish or pie plate.
   • Pour the reduced juice mixture over the apples and smooth with a rubber spatula.
3. FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING:
   • Combine flour, oats, sugars, pie spice, and cornmeal in a medium bowl.
   • Drizzle with melted butter and toss with a fork until evenly moistened and the mixture forms many large chunks with pea-sized pieces mixed throughout.
   • Sprinkle streusel evenly over the pie filling.
   • Set the baking dish or pie plate on a baking sheet and bake until the streusel topping is deep golden brown, about 10 minutes.
   • Cool on a wire rack and serve.

This recipe was shared with us by our friend (and guest chef) Jennifer Simms.