Apple Crumble

The best apple crumble recipe starts with choosing the right apples, so consider your fruit wisely. Baking apples “can range from sweet to tart to everything in between,” says cookbook author (and expert baker) Abby Dodge, who developed this recipe for Epicurious. Dodge recommends a combination of McIntosh and Golden Delicious. McIntosh apples are sweet, juicy, and break down beautifully in the oven; this helps thicken the filling as the crumble bakes without relying on cornstarch or other agents. On the other end of the spectrum, Golden Delicious apples retain shape at high temperatures, giving the filling balanced flavors and a satisfying texture. Customize the apple mixture by substituting Macouns for the McIntosh, or swap the Golden Delicious for Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith apples. If your fruit starts to brown after you peel it, put the halves in a large bowl and toss with a squeeze of lemon juice while you work on the remaining apples.

Diced cold butter is key to a crisp-tender crumb topping. Melted butter will cause the crumbs to spread and flatten, whereas chilled fat produces big, satisfying chunks that bake up crispy and golden brown. For the best texture, squeeze big clumps of the buttery dough and let it break and fall from your hands into a craggy, irregular surface.

Adapt this apple crumble recipe to suit whatever is in your kitchen (and in your heart): Toss chopped pecans or walnuts into the crumble mixture; stir a handful of golden raisins or dried cranberries into the apples; or add in a sprinkling of allspice, ginger, cardamom, or other baking spices with the cinnamon. Need a gluten-free dessert? Swap the AP flour for a 1:1 GF blend, and you’ll be just fine. And remember, if the finished dessert is less sweet than you’d like (perhaps your apples were a bit too tart?), that’s nothing this 3-ingredient microwave caramel sauce can’t fix.