I don't know about you, but I have been craving some good restaurant meals lately! Unfortunately, due to a spike in Covid cases, restaurants are closed for dining here in Oregon again. Please order take-out from your local restaurants if you have the funds - they need our support right now!
If you want to create a restaurant-style dessert for the holiday dinners coming up, this Apple Crumble with Vanilla Bean + Thyme will hit the spot.
The inspiration for this dish comes from one of my favorite pairings: apples + thyme! I also added some vanilla bean because the best apple crumbles I ever made had vanilla bean flecks sprinkled throughout the filling. To change things up from the usual apple crumble, I thought I would incorporate my favorite flavors in the same dish. Boy, was I on to something!
This Apple Crumble is:
Sweet
Tart
Herbal
Crumbly
And has a hint of black pepper spice....
What you need to make this Apple Crumble
Apples - I used Honeycrisp, but Braeburn or Pink Lady will work great!
Sugar - Brown and white
Walnuts - Chopped
Butter - Vegan or Regular
Lemon Juice - Fresh squeezed. Use Meyer Lemons for best flavor if you can find them.
Flour - All purpose.
Vanilla Bean Powder - my new obsession! If you love vanilla bean but don't want to fuss with the pods, check out vanilla bean powder. You can buy it here.
Cinnamon - Ground
Black Pepper - Fresh Cracked - adds a subtle spice to the sweet crumble.
Salt
Serving Suggestions:
Prepare this dessert in advance, but wait until you start dinner to start the cooking process. You'll have a warm Apple Crumble for dessert!
Serve with whipped cream.
Serve with vanilla ice cream or a caramel ice cream..yumm.
Storing:
You can make and cook this Apple Crumble up to 2 days in advance. Leave the crumbles out at room temperature, covered.
Reheating the Apple Crumble:
Serve at room temperature or reheat in the oven at 325F(160C) uncovered for 10 minutes. If tops start to brown while reheating, cover with some parchment paper or aluminum foil to prevent burning.
A Few More Holiday Recipes:
I hope you are enjoying your Holiday Season! I'm beyond grateful for you and hope to see you at the next post!
Cheers,
Suzie
Apple Crumble with Vanilla Bean + Thyme
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 4 Small - Medium Apples
- 3 Tbsp Sugar
- 3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla Bean Powder see notes (or a vanilla bean, scraped)
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme Chopped
- ¼ Tsp Tsp Cinnamon
- ½ Tsp Salt
- Black Pepper Fews turns, fresh cracked
For the Crumble
- ½ Cup Flour
- ½ Cup Chopped Walnuts
- ⅓ Cup Brown Sugar Light
- ¼ Cup Butter ½ Stick (room temperature) Vegan Butter, if making vegan
- ¼ Tsp Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
To Make the Filling
- Wash, peel and thinly slice apples, add to a medium bowl. Add sugar, lemon juice, vanilla bean powder, cinnamon, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix to gently but make sure all of the seasonings coat all of the apple slices. Set aside for 10 minutes.4 - Apples3 Tbsp - Sugar3 Tbsp - Lemon Juice1 Tbsp - Vanilla Bean Powder1 Tbsp - Fresh Thyme¼ Tsp - Cinnamon½ Tsp - SaltCrack of Black Pepper
To Make the Crumble
- To a small bowl add: Flour, brown sugar, walnuts, butter, cinnamon and salt. Using clean hands, or a fork, slowly incorporate the butter into all of the ingredients until a sandy-like texture forms. Set aside.½ Cup Flour½ Cup Chopped Walnuts⅓ Cup Brown Sugar¼ Cup Butter ½ Stick (room temperature)¼ Tsp Cinnamon¼ tsp Salt
Assemble the Apple Crumbles
- Using ramekins or small (low mason jars), pack 1 cup of the apple filling into each ramekin. Be sure to pile it high, the apples will shrink as they cook.
- Top with ¼ cup of the crumble filling, be sure to pack it on tight so it doesn't fall off in the oven.
- Sprinkle with a little black pepper and bake in the oven, on a sheet tray, for 30 minutes on the center rack.
- Remove from oven once bubbling and golden. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Then top with some fresh thyme.
- Serve with love and enjoy! 🙂
Nutrition
Have any questions or recipe requests? Let me know! I would love to hear from you!
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