apple crumbles with vanilla ice-cream

apples.. 

i'm cooking with apples again and i feel glad. wanna know the reason i made this apple crumbles? it's all because of twitter. my friend, who is studying in australia, post a picture of apple crumbles that she ate there. my cousin who lives there also ever told my mom about a delicious apple strudels there. me curious? definitely.

this recipe was formulated by my self, i'm quite satisfied. all i know about fruit crumbles are fruits-filling topped with shortcrust-like crumbs. when it comes to apples, cinnamon is their spouse. apple and cinnamon are perfect match. i really love them paired. as a conclusion, i used them as the filling. the topping were just butter, sugar, and flour crumbed together. 

if apple and cinnamon are soulmate, ice-cream perhaps is their child. haha. there's always an excuse to serve apple desserts with ice-cream, for example: apple strudel with ice cream, apple pie with ice cream, apple cake with ice cream, fried apple with ice cream, and so on and so forth. so i guess it would be more delish if i also make vanilla ice-cream to be my apple crumbles' companion. i made this ice-cream a day before. yum! all of them taste so comforting..

Apple Crumbles
serves 4 ramekins

5 small granny smith apples, cored, peeled, and diced.
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
juice of 1 lemon
splash of cognac / calvados

3 tbsp (heaping) cold butter, diced
3/4 cup cake flour
2 tbsp granulated sugar

directions:

1. preheat oven to 200 degree C. prepare 4 ramekins.
2. make the filling: mix together diced apples, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, and cognac until evenly incorporated. set aside.
3. make the crumbs: sift flour and sugar in a medium bowl, add in the butter. rub with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. preferably not too fine so it will top the fruits better.
4. spoon the filling into each ramekins and topped evenly with the crumbs.
5. bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the topped become light golden brown.
6. serves warm with a dollop of whipped cream, custard or ice cream.

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Rich Vanilla Ice-Cream
from 'Easy Desserts'

300 ml single cream, plus
300 ml double cream
(or 600 ml whipping cream to substitute single and double cream)
1 vanilla pod
4 large egg yolks
115 gr caster sugar

directions:

1. pour the single and double cream or the whipping cream into a large heavy-based saucepan. split open the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds into the cream, then add the whole vanilla pod too. bring almost to the boil, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.
2. put the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl and whisk together until pale and the mixture leaves a trail when the whisk is lifted.
3. remove the vanilla pod from the cream, then slowly add the cream to the egg mixture, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon.
4. strain the mixture into the rinsed-out saucepan or a double boiler and cook over a low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring all the time, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. do not allow the mixture to boil or it will curdle. remove the custard from the heat and leave to cool for at least 1 hour, stirring from time to time to prevent a skin from forming.
5. if using an ice cream machine, churn the cold custard in the machine following the manufacturer's instructions. alternatively, freeze the custard in a freezerproof container, uncovered, for 1-2 hours, or until it begins to set around the edges. turn the custard into a bowl and stir with a fork or beat in a food processor until smooth. return to the freezer and freeze for a further 2-3 hours, or until firm. cover the container with a lid for storing.

what happened in my kitchen?

• well, i didn't experience problems making the apple crumbles.
• vanilla ice cream: on step 4. after the custard has reached room temperature, chill it for 4 hours or overnight before churning it in the ice cream machine.
• i think it's better to use combination of single and double cream because it won't be too thick when eaten. i used whipping cream and i feel it's too heavy for my taste.

that's all for today, don't be afraid to cook! :)
thanks for reading and have a nice day!