Shannon Sarna's Apple Tahini Crumble
September 08, 2022

Shannon Sarna's Apple Tahini Crumble

Looking for something other than honey cake to serve on your Rosh Hashanah table? We've got you! We're thrilled to share this warming fall dessert recipe from our friend Shannon Sarna's second cookbook, Modern Jewish Comfort Food. Watch us make it on Youtube and Reels. In the words of Shannon:

"When the Jewish New Year comes around, it’s common to find apple cake or honey cake on many Ashkenazi tables, since both honey and apple are common ingredients for Rosh Hashanah dishes. But neither of these desserts really excites me. Fruit crumbles are my go-​to dessert all year long for a few reasons: They are easy, they come together quickly, and I almost always have some over​ripe fruit sitting in my fridge or freezer that will be perfect transformed into this comforting dessert."

INGREDIENTS
For the fruit layer
7 or 8 medium apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into approximately 1-​inch pieces (around 6 cups of chopped apples)
⅓ c granulated sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or Hawaij Coffee Spice Blend (recipe follows)
Juice of ½ lemon

For the crumble topping
1¼ c unbleached all-​purpose flour
⅓ c packed light brown sugar
¼ c granulated sugar
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
⅓ c old-​fashioned rolled oats
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
¼ c Seed + Mill Organic Tahini

To serve
Vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream
Seed + Mill Halva, crumbled

STEPS

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-​by-​11-​inch baking dish with cooking spray. You can also use any size oven proof casserole dish or skillet! You just need to make sure the layer of apples isn't too thin so it doesn't burn. 
  2. Make the fruit layer: Combine the apples, granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and lemon juice in a large bowl.
  3. Make the crumble: In a separate bowl, combine all the crumble ingredients, using a wooden spoon, until evenly mixed but there are still clumps.
  4. Pour the apple mixture in an even layer into the prepared baking dish.
  5. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly on top of the apples until they are almost entirely covered.
  6. Bake, uncovered, for 45 to 60 minutes, until the apple mixture is bubbling and the crumble is golden brown. If the crumbs seem to be getting too dark, you can cover the dish with foil.
  7. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream and an extra sprinkle of halva, if desired.

    Serves 6-8

    Hawaij Coffee Spice Blend
    1 tsp ground cinnamon
    1 tsp ground cardamom
    1 tsp ground ginger
    1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
    1 tsp ground cloves

    STEPS

    1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.

    Makes ¼ cup