Who doesn’t love crumble? By combining both fruit purée and chunks and sweet, chewy dried cranberries, I’m creating layers of texture and interest beneath a beautiful crunchy granola topping. Don’t worry about peeling the fruit. Whether it’s apples, pears, or peaches, the flavor is all in the skin.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

• 6 Tbsp granulated sugar
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• 1 vanilla pod, seeds only
• 6 apples, cored but not peeled, 3 of them grated, 3 cut into chunks
• 3 Tbsp dried cranberries
• Zest of 1 lemon, juice of ½

FOR THE CRUMBLE TOPPING

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 3½ Tbsp butter, chilled and cubed
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup nutty granola or muesli

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Heat a small ovenproof baking dish, add the granulated sugar, and heat for about 5 minutes until it caramelizes.
3. Add the cinnamon, vanilla seeds, and grated apples, and cook for 1–2 minutes.
4. Stir in the apple chunks, then mix in the cranberries and lemon zest and juice. Remove from the heat and set aside.
5. To make the topping, place the flour, sugar, butter, and cinnamon in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
6. Add the granola and mix until fully incorporated.
7. Scatter the crumble topping over the fruit and heat the dish again on the stovetop.
8. Once the apple mixture is bubbling, transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 12–14 minutes until the topping is a deep golden color.
9. Remove and serve warm.

NOTES

• Brown sugar works best in a crumble mixture because it keeps the butter from melting into the flour, and adding one-third granola or muesli to two-thirds crumble opens out the texture to give a crunchier result. Finally, only ever sprinkle your topping over the fruit. Don’t push it down or it will get soggy.