A simple mixture of flour, bread crumbs, margarine (during the war there was a shortage of real butter) and sugar created a pastry lid over stewed fruit.
By Regula Ysewijn
The apple crumble became part of British traditions during World War II. History says that the Apple Crumble was invented due to strict food rationing, to replace the apple pie which contained too much quantities of flour compared to the crumble. A simple mixture of flour, bread crumbs, margarine (during the war there was a shortage of real butter) and sugar created a pastry lid over stewed fruit.
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Cranberry and Apple Crumble
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
A simple mixture of flour, bread crumbs, margarine (during the war there was a shortage of real butter) and sugar created a pastry lid over stewed fruit.
Ingredients
- 650 g cranberries
- 2 Bramley or any other cooking apple diced
- 100 g soft raw cane sugar
For the crumble
- 100 g wholemeal spelt flour
- 50 g raw cane sugar
- 60 g rolled oats (I sometimes use muesli)
- 100 g cold unsalted butter
- 0,5 cup (120 ml) of shaved almonds
Instructions
- Braise the fruit in a pan, with sugar over medium heat.
- Leave the fruit whole, it should not me reduced to jam
For the crumble
- Mix flour, sugar and oats.
- Rub the butter into the mixture, I like to use a knife to do this at first, this way the butters stays cold.
- Add the shaved almonds.
- Now use your fingers to bring the dough together leaving it rough and crumbly.
- Put the mixture into the fridge for about an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 160° celsius
- Place the fruit in the baking tray
- Arrange the crumble on top, divide evenly
- Put in the top side of the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes
- Serve with Clotted cream or vanilla ice cream.
- Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 570
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this crumble use wholemeal spelt flour and oats instead of plain flour?
The recipe references the WWII origin of the apple crumble, when flour was strictly rationed and bakers replaced part of it with breadcrumbs. This version uses 100 g wholemeal spelt flour plus 60 g rolled oats (the author notes muesli works too) to stay true to that rustic, economical spirit while adding texture. 
Why does the recipe say to keep the butter cold and use a knife first?
The instructions specifically say to start cutting the 100 g of cold butter into the dry mixture with a knife before using your fingers, precisely to keep the butter cold. Cold butter creates the crumbly, rough texture rather than a smooth, pastry-like dough.
What is the purpose of chilling the crumble mixture for an hour before baking?
The recipe instructs you to put the finished crumble mixture in the fridge for about an hour before assembling. This firms the butter back up after handling, so the topping stays crumbly and does not melt into the fruit before it has a chance to set in the oven at 160°C.
