Caramel and apple crumble

There's something undeniably comforting about the combination of warm baked apples, fragrant spices, and a crunchy crumble topping. When you add a luscious layer of date caramel to the mix, you have a dessert that takes indulgence to a whole new level. This apple crumble with date caramel combines tart Granny Smith apples, a blend of aromatic spices, and a tasty mixture of flour, coconut, oats, and chopped pecans for the perfect balance of flavors and textures.

To elevate this classic apple crumble, we've incorporated a layer of date caramel that adds a rich, gooey sweetness to the dessert. The date caramel is made from a simple combination of pitted dates, water, and a touch of vanilla extract. The dates are cooked down until soft and then blended to create a smooth and decadent caramel sauce. The natural sweetness of dates brings a unique depth of flavor that pairs beautifully with the tartness of the apples.

When the heavenly aroma of warm apples, spices, and caramel wafts through your kitchen, you know that something extraordinary is about to be served. This Apple Crumble with Date Caramel brings together the best of both worlds: the timeless comfort of apple crumble and the gorgeous surprise of date caramel....

Ingredients: For the Date Caramel:

• 1 cup pitted dates

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Apple Filling:

• 8 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

• 1/4 cup preferred sweetener (coconut sugar, monkfruit sugar etc)

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the Crumble Topping:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup shredded coconut

• 1/2 cup rolled oats

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

• 1/2 cup preferred sweetener (coconut sugar, monkfruit sugar etc)

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

2. In a pot over medium heat, combine the sliced Granny Smith apples, sweetener, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and lemon juice. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples have softened slightly. Remove from heat.

3. In a small saucepan, combine the pitted dates and water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes, until the dates are soft and the mixture thickens slightly.

4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool slightly. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor, add the vanilla extract, and blend until smooth. Set aside.

5. Spread the cooked apple mixture evenly in the greased baking dish. Pour the date caramel sauce over the apples, spreading it out to cover them.

6. In another mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, shredded coconut, rolled oats, chopped pecans, sweetener, and ground cinnamon. Mix well. Add the cold cubed butter and use your fingers or a pastry cutter to cut it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

7. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the apples in the baking dish.

8. Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the topping is golden brown.

9. Remove from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve warm with cream, coconut cream, yoghurt.