British style Warm Apple Crumble with Custard

In celebration of Apple season, I bring you this delectable recipe that is inspired by Humble Crumble, the amazing little stand at Borough Market in London that makes the best Apple Crumble and Custard. Super simple to make, fun to do with kids. Admittedly, the Custard is something I make on it’s own as dessert in our house, we spoon it warm from mugs, and its one of my favorites from childhood. Both elements of this dessert are very straight forward and simple, you probably won’t have to run out to the store for any of the ingredients either. Yet the end result is an all encompassing bowl of love, something we could all do with a little of right now.

I have included some of my favorite Borough Market food stops below.

Borough Market, London 2023

Apple Crumble & Custard at Humble Crumble

Organic Filling Ingredients for 1 9inch Crumble

3 Medium Apples. peeled, cored and sliced 1 inch thick - I’m using Fuji. Not sure it matters what kind you use as long as they aren’t the green ones.
1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
1/4 Tsp. Cinnamon

Organic Crumble Ingredients

1.5 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Stick/8 Tbsps. Butter, cold from the fridge
1/4 Tsp. Celtic Sea Salt

Proper British Custard Organic Ingredients:

1 Cup Heavy Cream/Whipping Cream
3 Cups Milk
4 Egg Yolks
3 Heaped Tbsps. Cornflour
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

Method for filling

Heat oven to 375f. Place Apples pieces evenly into a 9 inch round pie dish/baking dish. Sprinkle Cinnamon and 1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar evenly over the Apples. Mix with your fingers.

Method for crumble

In a separate bowl, mix Crumble Ingredients together. Slice the cold Butter into thin pieces. Mix well with your fingers to form moist breadcrumbs. Take a good 3 minutes doing this, breakdown large pieces, getting the crumbs as even and small as possible. You’ll know its ready when the color changes into an even color all through and they look more like breadcrumbs.

Pour the crumb mixture onto the center of the Apples to form a pile in the middle, then even out with a fork. Gently press the surface with the back of the fork so the crumble holds together. Use your fingers and hands to continue pressing down and forming an even crust over the top. Finally, using your fork, gently create ‘tracks’ for a decorative finish. Bake in a 375f oven for 40 minutes.

While the Crumble’s baking, make your Custard.

Method for Custard

Put the Cream and Milk in a medium size saucepan and gently bring to a boil, just below boiling point. Remove from heat as it just starts to bubble. In a large bowl, whisk together the Egg Yolks, Cornflour, Sugar and Vanilla. Slowly pour the hot Milk mixture onto the Sugar mixture, whisking constantly.

Pour the Custard back into the saucepan. Heat on low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon and whisk intermittently until the custard is thickened but before it starts to get lumpy. The longer you cook it the thicker it will get. Remove from heat and do a once over with the whisk before serving. Thin by adding more Milk if you need to.

Serve Apple Crumble with a generous amount of hot Custard poured on top.