Celtic Apple Crumble with Irish Whiskey Cream Sauce

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A week from today is St. Patrick’s Day, and if you are looking for a luscious, Irish dessert to accompany your equally luscious corned beef meal, have I got a dessert for you! This Celtic Crumble, from well-known Irish cookbook author, Margaret Johnson, is simple to prepare, but will wow your guests with its Irish whiskey goodness. You may just want to hide this one and keep it all to yourself. Enjoy it with a cup of Irish coffee for the complete experience.

Celtic Apple Crumble with Irish Whiskey Cream Sauce

Adapted from Irish Puddings, Tarts, Crumbles, and Fools by Margaret Johnson

Filling

½ c. water
3 T. Irish whiskey
½ c. golden raisins

¼ c. currants
1 t. vanilla extract
4 lg. Melissa’s Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/3 c. granulated sugar
½ t. ground cinnamon
½ t. ground ginger

1/8 t. nutmeg

1/8 t. allspice

1/8 t. cardamom

Pinch kosher salt

Crumble

1 c. flour
½ c. (packed) brown sugar
6 T. butter
1 c. quick-cooking Irish oatmeal

Irish Whiskey Cream Sauce

1 c. heavy cream
2 T. dark brown sugar, packed
2 T. Irish whiskey

Filling

To make the filling, in a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the water and whiskey to a boil. Stir in the raisins and vanilla. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour, or until the raisins have absorbed most of the liquid.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter an 8- or 9-inch square glass baking dish. In a large bowl, toss the apples with the sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Stir in the raisins and cooking liquid and arrange in the prepared pan.

Crumble

To make the crumble, combine the flour, brown sugar and butter in a food processor. Pulse 4-5 times to form coarse crumbs. Stir in the oats. Sprinkle the mixture over the fruit and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the apples are tender. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Irish Whiskey Cream Sauce

In a deep bowl, beat the cream with an electric mixer on high until soft peaks form. Dissolve the honey in the whiskey. Fold the honey mixture into the whipped cream and spoon over the crumble.