Apple Crisp with Custard Sauce
In the past few days, the city has been covered in a thick blanket of fog. It was sort of my idea of the Pacific Northwest when I considered moving here; I imagined long rejuvenating walks in the woods on foggy misty mornings before the city wakes.
Where I come from, the mist from the morning fog is believed to have restorative properties; the fresh dewy smell always reminds me of early morning walks with my grandmother when I was little. I guess that explains the yearning to go out in the fog…
Last night, just before dark, I went for a walk along the seawall. The quiet, the fog, the dusk and the reflection of the city lights on the water made for a hauntingly beautiful scene, I walked for bit, and just like that, all was well with the world again,
I went back home feeling like myself again, ready for dessert, craving something soothing, warm, sweet and light… to go with my mood.
I thought about this apple crisp, I usually make it in the summer from big shipment of Envy apples from New Zealand, but this weekend I found some fragrant crisp sweet BC apples on sale at the market and I couldn’t pass up.
This crisp is awesome with ice cream, but on nights like these, this light creamy custard does the trick.
To make Bird’s Custard Sauce: Mix the 2 tablespoons Custard Powder and 1/4 cup sugar with a small amount of milk (from 2 cups of milk) to form a smooth paste. Bring the rest of the milk to the boil in a non-stick saucepan on medium heat. Gently whisk / stir the custard paste into the boiling milk. Bring back to the boil; stir until the custard begins to thicken. Add more milk if you prefer your custard thinner.
Apple Crisp with Custard Sauce
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks’ Plum and Peach Crisp recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds apples, cut into bite-size chunks (choose a sweet, firm, crisp apple like Fuji, Ambrosia or Sunrise – peeled, if preferred)
- 1/4 cup natural cane sugar (I used turbinado sugar)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Bird’s Custard Powder (or arrowroot powder / cornstarch)
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 old fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour, or buckwheat flour for gluten-free option)
- 1/3 cup natural cane sugar
- 1/2 cup pistachios, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- Pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1/3 cup yoghurt (I used coconut yoghurt for dairy-free option)
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F, and grease a medium-sized deep baking dish with butter
- Put the chopped apples in a medium bowl
- In a separate small bowl, whisk the sugar with the custard powder and a pinch of salt, sprinkle over fruit and toss gently
- Add vanilla extract and toss again to mix
- Transfer apples to the baking dish and set aside
- Grab a medium bowl and combine oats, flour, sugar, pistachios, cinnamon, cardamom and salt
- Stir in butter and yoghurt and mix well, to get a dough-like texture
- Sprinkle the crumble mixture over apple mixture
- Bake for 20 – 25, or until the topping is golden
- Sprinkle a bit more sugar on top as it comes out of the oven
- Serve warm with custard
- Enjoy!
