Crunchy Apple Slice
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Ingredients

For the Base

  • 170 g flour
  • 100 g soft brown sugar
  • 140 g butter

For the Filling

  • 2-3 cups grated apple *
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • zest of one lemon, finely grated
  • * Use 2 large tart green apples and grate them with the skins on

For the Topping

  • 55 g flour
  • 55 g butter
  • 55 g brown sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • pinch of ground cloves

For the Base

  • 1½ cups flour
  • 3½ oz soft brown sugar
  • 5 oz butter

For the Filling

  • 2-3 cups grated apple *
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • zest of one lemon, finely grated
  • * Use 2 large tart green apples and grate them with the skins on

For the Topping

  • 2 oz flour
  • 2 oz butter
  • 2 oz brown sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • pinch of ground cloves

Crunchy Apple Slice

I wanted a recipe for an apple slice with a crisp base and couldn't find what I was after in any of my books. Most of the recipes were for apple shortcakes which are generally quite soft and spongy. So I experimented with combining a spicy apple pie topping with a firm biscuit base and putting stewed or grated apple in the middle. After several attempts I think this one is a winner. The apples must be tart rather than sweet - use Granny Smiths if you can't find real cooking apples. They are grated skins and all and although the skins are undetectable once they are cooked, they sharpen up the apple flavour. You can enjoy the textures and flavours of apple pie in a small slim finger, rather than a big wedge - or eat several fingers if you must. . . (If they don't all disappear immediately, you can store them until the next day, but the apple filling will have softened the biscuit base - the flavour, however, will be as good as ever.)

Getting ready

  1. Preheat the oven to 350º F / 180º C and line a 12 x 8 in / 30 x 21 cm shallow tin with baking paper, or grease it lightly.

Mixing and baking the base

  1. Combine the sugar and flour and rub in the butter with your fingertips - or just combine everything in the food processor.. Stop when it begins to form into clumps, tip onto the bench and gather together into a ball. Put the mixture into the prepared tin, spread it out with floured fingers and press it down firmly and evenly.
  2. Bake for 15-20 minutes until it is just beginning to brown at the edges. Remove from the oven and leave to cool

Mixing the filling and topping

  1. While the base is cooking, combine the topping ingredients in the food processor and pulse until they form fine crumbs. Set aside.
  2. When the base is cool, grate the apples and mix them with the sugar and the grated lemon zest. (Don't do this in advance or the sugar will make the apples give out a lot of juice.)
  3. Increase the oven temperature to 400º F / 200º C.

Finishing

  1. Spread the grated apple onto the cooled base, press it down firmly and scatter over the topping over as evenly as you can.
  2. Bake for a further 25 - 30 minutes until the topping is golden brown.
  3. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes in the tin on a rack before slicing into fingers. Serve it warm or at room temperature - it is best on the day it is made.