Someone’s Mum’s Simple, Yet Superior, Apple Crumble

1 cup flour

¾ rolled oats, not quick or instant

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup melted butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

5 cups thinly sliced peeled apples

FOR THE SAUCE:

½ cup white sugar

2/3 cup filtered water

1 Tbs. lemon juice

2 tsp. pure vanilla

2 Tbs. cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbs.water

1. In a small saucepan combine the sugar, water, vanilla and lemon juice.
2. Bring to a boil then quickly remove from heat and whisk in the cornstarch/water slurry, stirring till slightly thickened and shiny.
3. Combine the first five ingredients listed and press HALF of crumbly sand gently into a buttered 9” x 9” baking dish.
4. Add the sliced apples and pour sauce over everything, then press the remaining crumbs lightly on top.
5. Bake at 350 F for about an hour but check at 50 minutes. All we’re looking for here is a crisp topping and tender apples underneath. Serve warm or room temperature with plenty of cream, custard, vanilla ice cream or hell, all three.
6. ***NOTE: The vanilla is KEY in this recipe so do not omit. If you have no vanilla in the house, consider making some Vanilla Sugar  which was popularized by Jamie Oliver and fantastic to have in at all times. You will also then be able to whip off the lid to inhale deeply whenever you like. Basically, (from The Naked Chef), Jamie suggests the addition of used vanilla bean pods to a container of sugar and then whizzes up the entire thing in a food processor to make a supremely vanilla-y caster sugar.)