This is one of my favourite Autumn desserts and while at first glance it might look like there are lots of steps involved in making it, it's actually really easy to make and not at all time consuming. I call it an apple crumble but it's not a crumble in the traditional sense. Rather the fruit is stewed and the crumble is cooked separately. It's served in little bowls or ramekins, with the stewed fruit being spooned into the bottom and then topped with the toasted crunchy crumble. I serve this with a vanilla cashew cream, but you can serve it with normal dairy cream if you prefer. And finally, the caramel sauce is the perfect finish.
I use an apple syrup to sweeten this dish instead of honey or maple syrup and it works so well. The apple syrup I use is Highbank Orchard Syrup which is made right here in Kilkenny and really is Ireland's answer to maple syrup.
(serves 8)
Ingredients
For the filling:
1 kg red apples
1 tbsp Highbank Orchard Apple Syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon
For the crumble:
1 cup ground almonds
1 ½ cups oats
4 tbsp almond butter
4 tbsp Highbank Orchard Apple Syrup
4 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
Generous pinch of sea salt
For the toffee sauce:
4 tbsp almond butter
4 tbsp Highbank Orchard Apple Syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
Generous pinch of sea salt
For the vanilla cashew cream:
1 cup raw cashew nuts, soaked in water for at least 4 hours
¼ cup water
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5. Peel and core the apples and cut them into bite size pieces. Place in a large saucepan and add 1 tbsp apple syrup and the cinnamon. Add just enough boiling water to cover the base of the saucepan, not more than ½ cm in depth. Cover and cook on a low heat for 10-12 minutes until the apples are tender.
To make the crumble add the almonds and oats to a large bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the almond butter, apple syrup and coconut oil over a low heat until melted. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract and sea salt and whisk well. Add to the almond and oat mixture and mix well. Spread the crumble mixture over the surface of a baking sheet and place in the oven for 20 minutes until crisp and golden.
To make the caramel sauce, place all the caramel ingredients in a saucepan over a low heat and stir until the ingredients are melted and combined.
To make the cashew cream, drain and rinse the cashew nuts. Add to a blender along with the remaining ingredients and blend well.
Serve in glass jars or ramekins. Spoon the apple crumble into the base of the glass and top with the crumble and then a dollop of the vanilla cashew cream. Lastly, drizzle the caramel sauce on top.
