Comfort food with a twist

This past Christmas, I gave my mom several zines I'd bought from Jae Steele, author of the upcoming Get it Ripe cookbook, whom I'd had the fortune to meet a couple of times at the Canzine fair in Toronto. After trying out a recipe from one of the zines (I'll post the title when I remember it), my mom insisted I had to try this apple crumble with cashew cream. As simple as it is, it's also very rich and very addictive. There are any number of crumble recipes to be had, but this one beats any I can remember having eaten. Even Jae says of the recipe, "I've never tasted an apple crumble better than the one my mum makes." And the cashew cream is amazing. You could use it to top other desserts or even warm breakfast cereals like quinoa or oatmeal.

Apple Crumble
(modified from Jae Steele's zine)

Filling

5 large apples, peeled with cores removed and sliced
1 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. whole grain flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Topping

1/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup whole or rolled oats
1/2 cup whole grain flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.

In a small dish, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Place the apples in a large bowl and sprinkle with the with the flour mixture, tossing to thoroughly coat the apples. Transfer the apples to a 9"x9" baking dish.

In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the topping and mix thoroughly until combined. Add the canola oil and rub the mixture with your fingers until it takes on a grainy, large breadcrumb-like consistency. With a spoon, spread the topping over the apples. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake the apple crumble for 40-45 minutes. Test with the tip of a knife for doneness by piercing the fruit. Set the dish aside and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Serve the crumble warm topped with a dollop of cashew cream.

Cashew Cream

1 cup raw cashews, placed in a bowl and covered with water to soak for 4 hours
2 tbsp. agave nectar or other liquid sweetener
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. sea salt

After the 4 hours for soaking the cashews is up, drain the soaking water off the cashews. Place the cashews in a blended with the remainder of the ingredients and blend the mixture on high until well combined and the cream is smooth (about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes). If the cream is too thick, add a tbsp. of water at a time and reblend between additions. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Note: According to Jae, this cream may be frozen for future use in other recipes.