Apple Crumble

Apple crumble is one of our favorite comfort foods. Actually, it doesn't really have to be apple crumble; any fruit underneath a crumb topping will do. I've been using the crumb topping recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook -- you know, the one with the red plaid cover, the one that's been around since the 40's -- for years, but I think I've found a better one.

My friend Gina has just published her second cookbook (Taste This! The Delicious Sequel), and her crumb topping is amazing! It has the same ingredients as the one from the BHG cookbook (flour, sugar and butter) just in different proportions (more butter, which is probably why it tastes so good). It's also a lot easier to remember, because the proportions are simple. It's a 2:1:1 ratio for flour:sugar:butter. In other words, it's

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter

That's way more than I needed to top an 8x8 glass dish of sliced apples, so you can halve that recipe (or double it, if you're baking for a crowd). Gina's recipe is actually for a Blackberry & Apple Crumble (for the complete recipe, you'll have to buy the book!), but I didn't have any blackberries, so it became just apple crumble. I still have a ton of crumble in the fridge, so you can guess what we'll be having for dessert in the near future: peach crumble, rhubarb crumble..... yum!