This seasonal lunchbox slice is as comforting as swishing through fallen leaves on a crisp Autumn day
Gluten-free Apple Slice with Crumble Topping
Equipment
- 20x30 centimetre slice tray
- Food processor with chopping and grating blades
Ingredients
Base
- 100 g tapioca flour
- 80 g sorghum flour
- 80 g brown rice flour
- 5 g psyllium husk
- 100 g white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 egg
- 120 g butter, cubed
- 1 tbs milk
Apple filling
- 420 g peeled and cored apples (approximately 5 apples)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 40 g melted butter
Crumble topping
- 50 g gluten-free self-raising flour
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 40 g desiccated coconut
- 40 g quinoa flakes
- 50 g white sugar
- 100 g softened butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180° Celsius (conventional oven) or 160° Celsius (fan-forced oven)
- Grease and line a 20 x 30 centimetre slice tray.
Base
- Using the large bowl of a food processor, fit the chopping blade. Add to the bowl the tapioca flour, sorghum flour, brown rice flour, psyllium husk, 100 g white sugar, vanilla essence, egg, 120 g cubed butter and milk.
- Process on medium speed until all ingredients are combined and mixture comes together into a ball.
- Press mixture into the tray until it evenly covers the tray and is spread to all corners and edges. Use a small round glass or jar to roll over the base so that the surface is flat and even.
Apple filling
- Wipe out the food processor bowl, remove the chopping blade and clean it, and fit the grating attachment.
- Roughly chop apples into large chunks or quarters.
- With the food processor on medium speed, feed apples into the processor chute to grate.
- Tip grated apple into a large bowl, add 1 tsp ground cinnamon and 40 g melted butter. Combine.
- Spread apple mixture over the top of the base.
Crumble topping
- Wipe out the food processor bowl, remove the grating blade and fit the chopping attachment.
- To make the crumble topping, add to the bowl the gluten-free self-raising flour, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, desiccated coconut, quinoa flakes, 50 g white sugar and 100 g softened butter.
- Process on low speed until mixture is just combined and a few clumps form.
- Spread evenly over apple mixture.
Bake
- Bake for 55 minutes, or until base is baked and crumble topping is golden brown and crunchy.
- Cool in tray.
- When completely cool, cut into 5 x 5 centimetre squares.
Notes
It’s the Easter long weekend here in Australia the weather has just started feeling a little autumnal, although unbelievably I am still picking a few fresh figs.
And we’ve just celebrated our eldest daughter’s 11th birthday. It’s amazing to think so much time has passed. It seems that just yesterday I was up to my elbows in nappies, bottles and baby talk. Now, in the blink of an eye, I’m ferrying her to and from her after-school activities, wondering how long I can delay giving her a mobile phone, and trying to find age-appropriate clothing that she’ll like. And to think that in just five short years she’ll be learning to drive!
[Update: Now it’s Easter in 2022. That 11-year-old is now 17, in her final year of school, learning to drive, and making plans for her post-school life. And, yes, there’s a mobile phone. Meanwhile, my joints are aching, fine lines are becoming fully-fledged wrinkles and there are a few too many grey hairs. Blink of an eye, people!]Anyway, with all of these celebrations occurring in Autumn, it inspired me to come up with a recipe befitting the season.
Gluten-free apple slice with crumble topping
There’s something so lovely and comforting about an apple crumble, don’t you think? Mixed with some cinnamon and maybe some sultanas, it’s one of my favourite desserts. On its own, apple crumble may not be portable enough for the lunchbox, but putting it into a slice makes it a lovely lunchbox option.
Crumbles are traditionally made with oats. However, in Australia, oats aren’t recommended for coeliacs. Quinoa flakes make an excellent alternative and can be found in supermarkets, health food shops, and online.
As there are three parts to this recipe, I’ve tried to make things more time-efficient with a food processor. Each stage can be prepared in the processor – simply wipe out the bowl between each stage.
Gluten-free apple slice with crumble topping is great for a recess-time snack and the leftovers can be frozen.
Enjoy!
Looking for more gluten-free lunchbox recipes? Check out my eCookbook.
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I had NO FIGS this year 🙁 Might have been because the tree was cut back at the wrong time (not by me of course) or perhaps it was simply having a rest – we hardly got any fruit last year either. On the plus side, the orange tree is full of fruit (got nothing from it last year!.)
Looks delightful, could the sorghum flour be subbed out with another e.g buckwheat?
Yes, it sure can. Although be aware of taste – Buckwheat’s stronger, nuttier taste may interfere a little bit with the balance of the other flavours. The important thing is to make sure that you’re using a high protein flour. I like sorghum because I can buy it in my local supermarket, it has no taste, and it’s high protein so it helps give baked goods a fantastic consistency.