Chef Gearoid Lynch: Apple & Pecan Crumble

Whether you prefer sweet or savoury, there is something special about freshly baked goods. Gearoid Lynch from The Olde Post Inn has put together this delicious recipe for an apple and pecan crumble. The perfect dessert to follow your BBQ feast or to enjoy solo as an afternoon treat with a cup of tea.

Ingredients

Short crust sweet pastry
225g plain white flour
50g icing sugar
150g butter, cubed
1 whole egg, whisked

Filling
1kg cooking apples, peeled and quartered with the core removed
250g caster sugar

Crumble topping
150g plain white flour
80g butter, cubed and chilled 60g caster sugar
60g demerara brown sugar
50g pecans, roughly chopped

Method:

Method To make the pastry

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
2. Mix the plain flour and icing sugar together in a bowl and add the butter to the mixture by rubbing in, it should resemble a fine bread crumb mixture. Whisk the egg and add to the pastry mixture. Combine all the ingredients by hand. Once combined wrap the dough in cling film and leave to rest for at least 1 hour before required.
3. Cut the apple into chunks and place in a saucepan with the caster sugar. Place the saucepan on a high heat, stirring continuously until the apples change colour slightly. Leave the cooked apples to cool.
4. Remove the pastry from the fridge. Line a 20cm flan tin with the pastry. With a fork prod the base of the pastry and return to the fridge for 15 minutes.
5. Cover the pastry with a layer of parchment paper, fill with dried beans or ceramic beans. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and the beans and bake for a further 10 minutes.

To make the crumble topping

1. Rub the butter and 150g of the plain white flour together to resemble breadcrumbs. Add the caster sugar, the demerara brown sugar and the pecans to the mix. Mix well and set aside.
2. Remove the pastry from the oven.
3. You can assemble the crumble immediately or allow the pastry to cool. Place a sufficient amount of the cooked apple in the pastry case. Top with the crumble mix, spreading it to the edges of the pastry case to ensure that the cooked apple mix is fully covered.
4. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes at 160°C