Apple Lemon Zest Crumble

I created this apple crumble with a zing for our lunch dessert today. :-) I love how the freshness of the lemony zest lifts this traditional dessert into a whole new realm of very more-ish tastiness!  Served chilled it's a perfect for the spell of warm spring weather we've been blessed with in D.C. this week. Serves 6+ generous portions. Hope you enjoy it!

Crumble Topping:
1 cup porridge oats
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup sprouted wheat flour
2 TBSP slivered almonds
3/4 cup cane sugar or to taste
1 TBSP vanilla essence
Approx 1/2 cup melted butter or as needed to make flour saturated and crumbly
pinch of sea salt

Mix all dry ingredients together. Stir vanilla into melted butter and pour into dry ingredients. Mix well, should look abit like bread crumbs. Set aside.

Filling:
5 granny smith apples, peeled, sliced into 1/2 moons
1 handful of dried cranberries
1 heaped TBSP fresh lemon zest
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 TBSP cane sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
1/2 cup water

Heat the water. Cook the apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and maple syrup until the apples are soft but retain their 1/2 moon shape. Remove from heat and mix in the lemon zest and cranberries. Pour into a glass baking dish. Very lightly pat the crumble topping on top of the apples. Bake til golden brown on top, in a preheated oven at 385 degrees Fahrenheit.

Delicious served warm or cold, as is, or with freshly whipped chilled double cream. :-)

I've also created a variation of this dessert by replacing the apples with strawberries - leave out the cinnamon and nutmeg, and add more cranberries and a little more sugar. :-)