James Martin Apple Crumble

James Martin Apple Crumble is made with Bramley and Granny Smith apples tossed in melted butter and caster sugar, baked under a thick crumble of flour, diced butter, and soft brown sugar for just over an hour at 160°C. It comes with a homemade custard infused with vanilla bean paste and fresh thyme, which is the twist that sets this version apart.

This recipe lives on his official website under the name Apple Crumble with Thyme Custard, and it was featured on his ITV Saturday Morning show. He uses two types of apple together because Bramleys break down into a soft base while the Granny Smiths hold their shape, so you get both texture and sauce in every spoonful.

The crumble topping needs to stay loose and rough when you rub it together, because packing it tight turns it into a dense lid that blocks steam and makes the fruit underneath watery. Stopping when the mix looks like coarse breadcrumbs is the point where you get that crunchy, crumbly top after an hour in the oven.

James Martin Apple Crumble

Author: Imen Dridi Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:British Courses:Dessert

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time:1 hour 15 minutesRest time: 3 minutesTotal time:1 hour 38 minutesServings:8 servingsCalories:520 kcal Best Season:Available

Description

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Soft tart apples baked under a crunchy brown sugar crumble for over an hour, then served with a warm custard that tastes like vanilla but finishes with a surprising herby note from fresh thyme.

Ingredients

For the Apples:

• 4 Bramley apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 125g butter, melted
• 125g caster sugar

For the Crumble:

• 400g plain flour
• 200g butter, diced
• 200g soft brown sugar
• Pinch of salt

For the Custard:

• 8 egg yolks
• 75g caster sugar
• 300ml milk
• 300ml double cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• Few sprigs of fresh thyme

Instructions

1. Prep the apples: Preheat the oven to 160°C. Mix the sliced Bramley and Granny Smith apples with the melted butter and caster sugar, then spread the mixture into an ovenproof dish.
2. Make the crumble: In a bowl, rub the diced butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the soft brown sugar and salt. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the apples.
3. Bake: Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes until the top is golden and the fruit is bubbling underneath.
4. Make the custard: While the crumble bakes, put the milk and cream in a saucepan with the vanilla bean paste, thyme sprigs, and half the caster sugar. Warm gently over low heat without boiling.
5. Finish the custard: Whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar in a bowl. Pour the warm milk mixture over the yolks and whisk together. Return everything to the pan and whisk continuously over low heat until the custard thickens. Sieve into a bowl to remove the thyme sprigs.
6. Serve: Spoon the warm crumble into bowls and pour the thyme custard over the top.

Keywords:James Martin Apple Crumble, apple crumble with thyme custard, James Martin Saturday Morning apple crumble, British apple crumble recipe

FAQs

Why use two types of apple instead of just one?

Bramleys are cooking apples that collapse into a soft, saucy base when they bake, but on their own the filling would be too smooth. Granny Smiths hold their shape and keep a slight bite, so mixing the two gives you a filling that has both texture and sauce. That contrast is what makes each spoonful feel layered instead of one-note.

Why does the crumble bake at 160°C instead of a higher temperature?

Lower heat gives the apples time to break down and release their juices before the topping browns too fast on top. At 180°C or higher the crumble turns golden while the fruit underneath stays undercooked and firm. The longer, slower bake is why this version goes for a full hour, which is also what gives the topping that deep, even crunch all the way across.

What does the thyme actually do in the custard?

It adds a savoury, herby note underneath the vanilla that stops the custard from tasting one-dimensionally sweet. The warmth of the thyme works with the apple the same way rosemary works with baked stone fruit, because the herbal oils balance the sugar. Sieving the custard at the end removes the sprigs so you get the flavour without any woody bits in the bowl.

Why melt the butter with the apples before baking?

Tossing the apples in melted butter and sugar before they go into the dish means they start caramelising from the moment the heat hits them. Without that coating the apples would just steam dry under the crumble, which gives you bland fruit with no depth. It also helps the slices stick together slightly, creating a cohesive base that supports the crumble topping, similar to how the filling works in a apple pie.

How do I know when the custard is thick enough?

It should coat the back of a spoon so that when you draw a line through it with your finger the line stays clean and does not run back together. If it still flows like milk, keep whisking over low heat for another minute or two. Do not let it boil though, because the egg yolks will scramble and you end up with lumps that even sieving cannot fully fix.

Can I make the crumble topping ahead of time?

You can rub the butter into the flour and sugar up to a day ahead and keep it in the fridge in a sealed container. Cold crumble actually bakes better because the chilled butter melts more slowly in the oven, which creates more pockets of crunch throughout the topping. Take it straight from the fridge and scatter it over the fruit without letting it warm up, which is the same cold-butter principle behind a good rhubarb crumble.