Brown Butter Apple Crumble

Heat the oven to 190 °C (375 °F) and rub a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in) baking dish with the 1 tbsp of soft butter. Keep the 150 g of cubed butter for browning.

Melt the cubed butter in a light-coloured saucepan over medium heat, swirling the pan now and then, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the foam settles, the solids at the bottom turn hazelnut brown and it smells nutty. Pour it straight into a large heatproof bowl, scraping in the brown bits, and cool for 10 minutes.

Tip: A pale pan lets you see the solids colour; pull it the moment it smells like toffee, because it burns within a minute after.

Meanwhile, toss the sliced apples in the buttered dish with 1/4 cup of the golden yellow sugar, 2 tbsp of the flour, 1 tsp of the cinnamon, the lemon juice and the vanilla until every slice is lightly coated, then level them into an even layer.

Add the remaining 1 cup of flour, the oats, the remaining 1/2 cup of golden yellow sugar, the remaining 1 tsp of cinnamon and the salt to the cooled butter. Rub it together with your fingertips until it forms damp clumps, from coarse crumbs to marble-sized clusters.

Tip: If the butter is still hot the topping turns to paste; let it cool until just warm before mixing.

Scatter the crumble evenly over the apples without pressing it down. Bake on the middle rack for 40 to 45 minutes, until the topping is deep golden, the juices bubble thickly at the edges and a knife slides into the apples with no resistance.

Lift the dish out of the oven and rest the crumble on a rack for 15 minutes, until the bubbling stops and the juices thicken to a glossy syrup around the apples instead of running thin.

Spoon the warm crumble into bowls, making sure each serving gets plenty of the crisp topping, and finish each with a generous swirl of the cold whipped cream just before serving.