While I love the scent of a traditional apple crumble filling my kitchen, I prefer this quick apple crumble for warm Autumn evenings. It also uses less energy and requires less time.

Irish apples are in season right now. If you’re lucky you’ve got an apple or pear tree in your back garden, or you know of someone who will give you windfalls. If you’re not then you have to negotiate the supermarkets and grocers to find Irish apples. Yesterday, in one of Ireland’s biggest supermarket chain stores, I discovered apples from New Zealand on special, targeted at the school/lunchbox market.

It is so disappointing to see these apples flown from the other side of the world, sold at half the price of Irish apples in Irish supermarkets. We have been blessed with a decent apple crop this year, so if you can get Irish apples then do make the most of them. If supermarkets continue to sell these imports at a cheaper price than Irish food then how can our growers and producers even hope to compete? Yes, there is a demand for cheap fruit and vegetables and I would be looking for produce at a reasonable price. However I would jump at the chance to buy bockety apples with scabby bits or knobbly sticky-out pieces for the same price as the cheap imports. I know I’m not the only one.

I made this quick crumble for my demo at the Glenisk Pop-Up store two weeks ago now. I used windfalls which were less than appealing in appearance but the apples taste just as nice as ones with a perfect skin or shape. By using honey instead of processed sugars, I keep the sweetness in check along with some toasted seeds and oats for texture.  This recipe is not only a great dessert but it is a brilliant breakfast on the run, full of all the right nutrients and low on processed sugars and carbohydrates.

Quick Apple Crumble (Serves 4 adults)

Ingredients

• 1 knob (approx 20g) butter
• 3 cooking apples
• 3 tablespoons organic honey (plus more for drizzling)
• 50g sunflower seeds
• 50g pumpkin seeds
• 50g rolled organic oats
• 8 tablespoons Organic Greek-Style Yoghurt (natural flavour)

Method

Take a small saucepan and heat on a medium setting. Take a large frying pan and bring to a medium heat also. Make sure both are completely dry.

Melt the butter in the small saucepan. Peel, core and chop the apples before tossing them in the melted butter.

Meanwhile pour the seeds and oats onto the hot dry frying pan and tumble together using a wooden spoon until they start to jump and pop. Continue to turn over in the pan for a further 3 minutes (they will turn golden brown) then remove from the pan and put in a bowl to cool.

Pour 3 tablespoons of organic honey onto the cooking apples and stir well. Turn the heat up until the mixture begins to brown a little and turn fudgy. You’ll notice the smell will change. Spoon the cooked apples into 4 glasses and allow to cool.

Add 2 tablespoons of the yoghurt to each glass once cool (you can chill the glasses at this stage until just before serving) and spoon the toasted seeds on top. Drizzle a little honey on top of the seeds and serve.