Apple crumble cakes

How to make apple pies in squares.

These apple squares are awesome. An exquisite snack with which to satisfy the desire for sweets and feel ” less guilty ” for that of carrying fruit.

They are very reminiscent of apple crumble , the popular and traditional British dessert , but also classic American apple pie .

We could say that they are a sandwich of cookie dough and applesauce that is prepared entirely in the oven. For its elaboration, no strange gadgets or impossible ingredients are needed, which makes this recipe a very useful resource to always have on hand.

A few mini apple tarts in squares perfect to serve as a snack, mid-morning or mid-afternoon, if we cut them into small squares and are moderate with the portions.

Although they can also be served as dessert, freshly baked and accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream and an English cream chorrete. This is how apple crumble is served in English pubs . A delight impossible to resist.

It is a dessert that gives a lot of play and in which other fruits have a place, so let’s take advantage of the seasonal varieties to personalize it to taste: peach, plum, apricot, strawberry , … What fruit would you like to make them with?

Preparation of apple squares

1. We line a cookie sheet or a square / rectangular pan with parchment paper.
2. We wash the lemon well, dry it and grate it. Mix with the sugar in a large bowl.
3. We squeeze the lemon.
4. We peel the apples, decorazonamos and cut into small pieces.
5. Add the lemon juice and leave to marinate in a deep container for a few minutes while continuing with the recipe.
6. We open the cardamom seeds and discard the husks. Let’s grind the seeds in a mortar.
7. We return to the bowl with the sugar and the lemon zest. We add the flour, the salt, the chemical yeast, the ground cardamom and the egg. We remove.
8. We cut the butter, which will have to be very cold, into small cubes and add it to the previous mixture.
9. We work with the tips of our fingers to integrate the butter without heating it. It is not necessary to obtain a homogeneous mass but a texture of sand or crumbs.

Baking the apple cakes and final presentation

1. We cover the source or the mold that we use with half of the crumbs and cook in the oven, preheated to 200ºC with heat up and down, for about 6-7 minutes.
2. We remove and lower the oven temperature to 180ºC. Let cool a few minutes before continuing with the recipe.
3. When the semi-baked dough has warmed up, spread the chopped apple on it.
4. Mix the rest of the dough crumbs with the oat flakes and cover the apple layer with it.
5. We introduce again in the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the surface begins to brown.
6. We remove from the oven and let cool completely before portioning and serving.

Here you have a step by step in photos where I show how to prepare this recipe for these apple cakes . Do not miss any detail so that they come out of you delicious.

Tips for perfect apple squares

• Although we recommend letting it cool completely before serving, even keeping it in the fridge for a few hours so that the apple takes shape, these apple squares can also be tasted hot.
• They are delicious served as a dessert with a scoop of ice cream and a splash of liquid cream , custard or English cream.
• For this recipe you can use the apple that you like the most, at the moment of truth, the differences between the different types of apples do not affect the final result of the cakes too much, since they remain as compote or roasted type. A pippin will do great.
• If we do not have an apple at home or if we do not particularly like this fruit, we can substitute it for peach, apricot, pear, red fruit, plums, … even make combinations of several of them such as strawberries and blueberries that are delicious.
• The dough of the coating can be enriched, in addition to oat flakes, with ground and / or chopped nuts.
• For a more uniform base we can mix the ingredients well until homogeneous, then spread on the base of the mold. Getting something like what a cookie dough would be.