Apple Crumble

This is dessert is free of concentrated sweeteners and a great way to use up some excess apples. It also makes for a great breakfast!

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 5 apples, chopped  and cored (leave skin on)

• 1 bunch rhubard, chopped (discard green leaves)

• 2 star anise or 1 drop Young Living clove essential oil 

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon powder or 1 drop Young Living cinnamon bark oil

• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or 1 drop Young Living nutmeg oil

• 4 tablespoon coconut oil or butter
  

Crumble topping:

• 7 medjool dates (approx 160g), seeds removed

• 3/4 cup (90g) desiccated coconut

• 100g frozen butter, roughly chopped

• 3/4 cup (130g) activated nuts of choice eg almonds, hazelnuts, macadamias

• 1/3 cup (65g) activated cinnamon buckwheat
  

Directions:

1. Melt coconut oil or butter in a large frying pan or cast iron pot. Add rest of filling ingredients and cook on low heat, covered, until fruit is soft, stirring occasionally. Remove star anise. Add cooked fruit mixture to a large rectangular oven proof dish. 

2. To make crumble, process or pulse ingredients in food processor until it resembles a coarse crumbly mixture (Thermomix speed 9, 5 seconds).

3. Spread crumble mixture on top of fruit mixture and bake at 120 degrees Celsius for approximately 30 minutes. 

4. Serve with cream, cream fraiche or home made vanilla or macadamia nut ice-cream. 
   

Variations:

• Add 2 teaspoons of raw cacao powder to filling ingredients for a hint of chocolate.

• Substitute or include pears in the fruit filling.

• Add 1 drop of Young Living lime and/or cardamom essential oils for a more exotic flavour.
  

Any left over crumble mixture can be made into biscuits by adding the mixture to a food processor together with 1 egg and processing until well combined. Roll  into small balls and pressed down on a baking tray and bake at 180C for 20 minutes or until golden brown. In fact I typically make double the amount of crumble so that I have enough leftover to make a good sized batch of biscuits.