Apple and dried cranberry crumble bars

Name: Apple and dried cranberry crumble bars
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 8-10
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 medium apples, preferably Royal Gala or Granny Smith (about 130g each); 200g dried whole cranberries (I used Craisins); 1 tbsp light brown sugar; 2 tsp lemon juice; 1 cinnamon stick

Helen Goh

November 22, 2024

Serving suggestion: as dessert with cream (pictured) or ice-cream.William Meppem

Time:1-2 hoursServes:8-10

Soft, cooked apples, chewy, dried cranberries and crumbly butter topping … these bars are packed with flavour and texture. They are equally good as a snack with coffee and tea, or they make a great dessert plated up with vanilla ice-cream.

Ingredients

FOR THE APPLE AND CRANBERRY Compote

2 medium apples, preferably Royal Gala or Granny Smith (about 130g each)
200g dried whole cranberries (I used Craisins)
1 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick

FOR THE BASE AND CRUMBLE TOP

100g rolled oats
150g plain flour
80g wholemeal flour
100g brown sugar
90g caster or demerara sugar
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp fine sea salt
190g unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 10–12 cubes
1 tsp vanilla extract

To serve

ice-cream or cream, to serve

Method

Step 1
Line the base and sides of a 20cm square tin with baking paper. If the tin doesn’t have a removable base, allow a generous overhang at the sides to help lift the bar out once cooked.
Step 2
To make the compote, peel, core and dice apples into 1-2cm pieces and place in a medium saucepan. Add all the other ingredients, plus 250ml of water, and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Once the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to low and partially cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are softened and the liquid has evaporated, leaving a syrupy compote. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Discard the cinnamon stick, then blend to a very coarse puree using either a handheld blender or pulsing in a food processor. Don’t overdo this; you want the fruit to have texture.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 175C fan-forced (190C conventional).
Step 4
While the compote is cooking, make the dough, which will double as both the base and the crumble top. Place the oats, flours, sugars, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a food processor. Pulse about 10 times to aerate and combine, then add the butter. Process until the butter is in small pieces and the mix looks crumbly. Add the vanilla and pulse a few more times until the mix looks damp and crumbly.
Step 5
Tip the dough out into a large bowl and toss lightly with a spatula to make sure it’s evenly mixed. Scatter a little more than half of the mix (about 400g) into the base of the lined tin, then press firmly to form an even layer. Spread the cooled apple and cranberry compote on top of the base layer and use a small spatula or the back of a spoon to level it.
Step 6
Scatter the remaining crumble mix loosely over the top, then place in the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes until the crumble topping is firm and golden-brown.
Step 7
Remove from the oven and allow the crumble to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into slices, then serve.