SPECULOOS-APPLE CRUMBLE
Makes 4 servings
1 1/2 pounds apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks (to make about 1 quart)
1 tablespoon sugar, or more to taste
3 tablespoons plump, moist raisins (optional)
1 package (225 grams; about 1/2 pound) Lotus Speculoos/Biscoff or other speculoos
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan or a baking dish that holds 4 to 5 cups. Put the pan or dish on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, toss the apples with the sugar and raisins and keep at hand, stirring occasionally as you make the crumble topping.
Break the cookies into pieces and put them in another large bowl. I crushed the cookies with my hands, trying not to make too many teensy crumbs, but not succeeding. Cut the butter into small chunks and add them to the bowl. Toss and turn and press the cookies and butter with your fingers and then start working them together until you have a ball of fairly well blended ingredients. Don’t worry about being too thorough – you just want the butter and cookies to stick together.
Give the apples a last stir and then spoon them into the pan, pouring over whatever juices may have accumulated in the bowl. Pull off pieces of the crumble mixture and strew them over the apples – you’ll have enough to almost cover the fruit with lumpy-bumpy hunks of topping. The picture above is of the crumble at this point.
Bake the crumble for 35 to 40 minutes – cover it with a foil tent if the topping is getting too brown, too quickly. You’ll know the crumble is baked when the topping is deeply brown and the fruit is bubbling. Transfer the crumble to a rack and let it cool until it is just warm or reaches room temperature. I think the topping is better at room temperature, but a warm crumble has its fans (lots of them).
The crumble is best the day it is made and still awfully good the next day straight out of the fridge.