These Stuffed Apples with Crumble Topping are a simple, quick and healthy, yet satisfyingly naughty tasting. This easy crumble is a perfect dessert for guests, or as a one-person treat that doesn't blow your diet out the window. Without the custard, you're looking at just 212 calories per serving. You can prepare it ahead, or just make it and put it in the oven when you're hungry.
How about preparing this Stuffed apples with crumble topping for a weekend breakfast? You could top with a few oats, swap the custard for yoghurt - or just go ahead and have custard for breakfast. I won't tell.
I made this pud as a little treat that probably should have been enjoyed sat at the dining table over a leisurely chat. In all honesty, they didn't even make it out of the kitchen. Chris and I just hunched over the kitchen surface and gobbled them up the moment we'd finished taking the photos.
One of the (very few) disadvantages of blogging with food is having to adjust your palate to luke-warm food. So my excuse is that they simply needed eating as quickly as possible!
For this easy Stuffed apples with crumble topping dessert, you're going to carefully hollow out some apples using a sharp knife. It's important to not to cut out the bottom of the apples - otherwise you'll just have some sad looking apples sitting in a blueberry bath by the time you take it out of the oven. You need the apple to act like a kind of bowl. It's a little tricky, but easier once you've done the first one. The hole needs to be about 3.5cm-4cm across so you can fit in plenty of blueberries - and also to ensure you have enough surface area to top with the crumble.
Once you've hollowed out the apples, brush the insides with some lemon juice, This is particularly important if you're preparing ahead - to stop the apple going brown.
The filling itself, is a combination of blueberries, sugar for a bit of sweetness, and a little cornstarch to help thicken the filling slightly during cooking. The crumble topping is a regular mix of butter, sugar and flour, but you can also add nuts or oats or demerara sugar if you wish.
I made my own custard for this. If you've never made custard before, give it a go. It's surprisingly easy. I've included instructions for this, and also the nutritional info for the apples with and without the custard.
If you love crumble recipes like I do, check out my cherry crumble cake or apple crumble cookies.
Stuffed apples with crumble topping Recipe:
Stuffed Apples with Crumble Topping
Ingredients
Apples and filling:
- 4 eating apples - preferably a sharp and rich variety like Jazz or braeburn
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 65 g 2.5oz blueberries
- 2 tsp caster sugar
- ¼ tsp constarch
Crumble topping:
- 25 g 0.9oz unsalted butter - cold, cut into small cubes
- 50 g 1.8oz plain/all purpose flour
- 25 g 0.9oz caster sugar
Homemade Custard:
- 200 ml 6.75 fl oz double/heavy cream - you can replace with whole milk if you want to lighten it up a bit
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- A couple of drops vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 180c/350f.
- Hollow out your apples (leaving the base of the apple intact) and brush the insides with the lemon juice using a pastry brush. In a small bowl, mix the blueberries, sugar and cornstarch. Spoon this mixture into the apples. It's ok if the blueberries stick out of the apple a little. They'll breakdown and sink a bit when they're cooking.
- Next make your crumble topping. Place your butter and flour in a bowl and rub the flour into the butter using your fingertips until you have breadcrumbs. They don't have to be too small, a few bigger lumps in there adds to the texture of the crumble. Stir in the sugar, and then spoon this crumble mixture over the top of the apples. If you have any extra crumble, you can either freeze it, or you can make it on a tray along with the apples in case anyone wants extra. Place the apples in the oven and cook for about 25-30 minutes - until the crumble starts to go brown.
- Whilst the apples are in the oven, make your custard. Heat your cream in a pan until scalding (don't boil it though). In a jug, mix the egg yolk, cornstarch, sugar and vanilla extract. When the cream is scalding, pour into the egg mixture in a thin stream whilst whisking all the time (if you pour it in in one go, the egg will just scramble). Once mixed together, pour back into the pan (use a clean pan if your pan has a layer of cream stuck to it), and continue to stir the custard with a whisk over a medium heat until it thickens. If it gets too thick, you can add a touch more cream. Turn off the heat.
- Just before your apples come out of the oven, reheat the custard, giving it a good stir and adding a touch more cream if required. Serve your stuffed apples with the custard.
✎ Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional info obtained from caloriecount.about.com - per serving without custard.
Stewart says
Apple crumble is one of my favourite desserts, this is such a way to serve it.
lizzygoodthings says
Hello Nicky from Downunder! This is a gorgeous recipe and one that I know my man (and my readers) will love! Do you mind if I post my own take on this, with links back to you? Blueberries are so plentiful right now,
Nicky Corbishley says
Hi Lizzy, thanks for contacting me. Yes, that's fine, would love to see your take on the recipe 🙂
lizzygoodthings says
Thank you Nicky : )
Nicky Corbishley says
Hi Lizzy, thanks for contacting me. Yes, that's fine, would love to see your take on the recipe 🙂
Suchitra says
Love it! Single serve is a cook idea!
Nicky Corbishley says
Thanks Suchitra. Yeah my single serves are usually still about 1000 cals, so I'm happy with this one 🙂
strictlydelicious says
This is just brilliant. I loooooove this idea! And yes, as a food blogger you definitely learn to eat cold food. It's totally worth it though. These photos are EXCELLENT!
Nicky Corbishley says
Thanks Lina 🙂 Yep, salads and cakes are ok, but anything hot can be torturous to watch it go cold whilst you're trying to get the right shot!!
spiceinthecity says
How lovely NIcky! I love this healthy, single serve version of apple crumble! Just gorgeous!!
Nicky Corbishley says
Thanks Naina, glad you like it 🙂
lapetitepanierel says
It looks amazing 🙂
Nicky Corbishley says
Thanks Linda 🙂
Hilda says
I love baked apples, but they seem just too boring to make. These on the other hand take them to a whole new level - much more fun. Will have to try it with some of this season's blueberries.
Nicky Corbishley says
Thanks for the comment Hilda, I hope you enjoy them 🙂
thebrookcook says
Gorgeous! Great recipe 🙂
Nicky Corbishley says
thanks 🙂
Lily says
What a cool recipe, looks delicious and beautiful, thanks for sharing Nicky:)
Nicky Corbishley says
Thanks for checking out my recipe Lily 🙂