In my part of the world, march means the start of autumn which brings with it rain and colder weather. When it gets cold, I’ve been known to enjoy the occasional Fireball. For the uninitiated, Fireball is a sweet, cinnamon-infused Canadian Whiskey. Fireball is beautifully warming and complex which is why I thought that it was perfect to pair with tart apples.
I’ve used the Fireball two ways in the crumble, firstly in the stewed apple mix but also reduced into the butterscotch sauce poured over the top. This crumble is rich, I make no apology for that but its sweetness is balanced by spices and the ice cream scooped on top.
If you have by chance read my vegan crumble recipe from months back, you know I am a firm believer that the crumble topping should be baked separately from the filling. This is the only way to make sure the crumble stays as crispy and crunchy as possible.
Fireball Apple Crumble with Butterscotch Sauce
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg granny smith apples peeled cored and roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fireball spiced whiskey
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- juice of ½ a lemon
- 3 whole cloves
- ½ cinnamon quill
crumble topping
- ½ cup plain flour
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 50 g butter softened and chopped
- ¼ cup oats
- pinch of salt
fireball butterscotch sauce
- 1/3 cup fireball spiced whiskey
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 40 g butter chopped
- 1/3 cup whole milk
Instructions
- To begin making filling, preheat oven to 180°C. In a large skillet, heat the fireball, sugar, lemon juice and spices over medium heat until simmering. Simmer for 15 minutes or until reduced by half. Pour over the chopped apples, transfer to a baking dish or pie tin and put into the oven to bake for 30 minutes or until apples are softened.
- To prepare crumble topping, combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add the butter and rub through with your hands until well combined. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake in prepared oven for 15 minutes. Cool slightly, then bash pan against the bench to break into a rough crumble.
- To make butterscotch sauce, place fireball, salt and sugar into a small pan over medium and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and continue at a controlled boil for 10 minutes stirring regularly or until reduced and starting to darken. Remove from heat and stir through milk and butter. Allow to cool slightly then serve on the side.
- To serve, spoon apple mixture into bowl and top with a generous amount of crumble and a scoop of ice cream.