How to Make Apple Crumble

Most cultures have some form of baked apple dessert. Apple crisps, betties, and slumps or grunts are all closely related to the apple crumble. While many variations exist, at its simplest, the apple crumble consists of sliced apples covered with a buttery crispy topping. A baked apple crumble is gooey, bubbly, juicy, and smells incredible. Start with a simple apple crumble, then play with the variations. You'll quickly see why this apple dessert is well-loved around the world.

Makes one 9 inch pan

Ingredients

• 5-6 quality baking apples
• 2/3 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Steps

Simple Apple Crumble

1. Heat the oven and prepare your pan. Turn the oven on to 350ºF/177ºC. Butter an 8 or 9-inch baking dish or pie pan.
   
2. Prepare the apples. Peel and core the apples. Then, cut them into 1/4 inch slices or dice them into small chunks. Place them into your prepared pan.
   
   • You may need more apples, depending on the size of your baking apples. Make sure the apples fill about three-quarters of your pan.
3. Make the crumble topping. Whisk the flour, sugars, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
   
   • You can also sift the ingredients together into a bowl, but whisking is faster.
4. Add butter to the dry crumble ingredients. Use a pastry cutter, fork, or your hands to cut the butter into the dry mixture. Cutting in simply means combining the butter with the flour till it reaches a crumbly sandy texture.
   
   • If you use your hands, be sure not to overwork the butter or it will become soft and hard to work with. Try to keep your hands cold and work quickly.
5. Cover the apples with the crumble topping. Scatter all of the topping evenly over the apples in your pan. Press down lightly to gently pack it over the mounded apples.
   
6. Cook the apple crumble. Bake it for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the top is golden, the juices are bubbly, and the apples are cooked through.
   
   • You may want to set a baking sheet below the apple crumble in the oven. This way the sheet will catch any drips from the bubbly apple crumble.
7. Remove and serve. Let the apple crumble sit a few minutes before dishing up. Serve apple crumble with cream, sauce, or ice cream.
   
   • Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. Apple crumble will keep a few days, but may lose its crisp texture.

Trying a Variation on Apple Crumble

1. Switch up your fruit. You can make crumbles all year using seasonally fresh produce. Try blackberries and strawberries during the summer or pears and rhubarb during the spring. If you use fruit that is considerably tarter, you may need to adjust the sugar. For example, rhubarb will require extra sugar.
   
   • Frozen fruit can also be used in crumbles. Don't thaw before covering it with crumble topping. Simply top and bake.
2. Use oats in the topping. To add a heftier chewy texture to your crumble topping, consider adding oats. Replace half of the flour with oats. This will give your crumble a bit of a granola taste.
   
   • Remember to keep some flour in your topping, even when using oats. Flour acts as a binder and keeps the topping together. It will also help soak up juices from the fruit.
3. Add nuts. Nuts can add flavor, nutrition, and crunch to a crumble. Use your favorite nut, or try pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts. They're best if you use roasted nuts and chop them before adding them to the topping.
   
   • Make sure nuts are well mixed into the crumble topping. If simply scattered over the topping, they're likely to burn.
4. Serve with whipped cream, ice cream, or crème anglaise. While apple crumble is great on its own, try adding a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream over it. Or pour crème anglaise, a rich creamy custard, over the warm crumble.
   
   • You don't have to stick to vanilla ice cream. Apple crumbles work well with caramel or dulce de leche ice cream.

Tips

• If you prefer to make your crumble a bit fancier, add some little slices of apple with a bit of sugar on top for a beautiful presentation.
• Be careful and keep an eye on the crumble to make sure that it doesn't burn.
• Use oven mitts and caution when handling hot containers.
• When you are making any pastry or biscuits always leave the dough to rest for up to 30 minutes and then it shall be easier to use.
• Add vinegar to make the taste very delightful and a bit sour.
• Instead of adding vinegar, you could add a teaspoon of lemon juice.
• Porridge oats add a thicker texture and give a better crunch to it.

Things You'll Need

• apple corer
• apple peeler
• knife
• baking pan or pie pan
• pastry cutter or fork
• measuring spoons and cups

Related wikiHows

• How to Make Rhubarb Crumble
• How to Bake an Apple Pie from Scratch
• How to Make Apple Crunch Pudding
• How to Make a Baked Apple
• How to Make Crispy Apple Tart
• How to Make Banana and Cherry Crumble

Sources and Citations

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13 Animals Totally Nailing This Halloween Thing

Who says it’s just a holiday for humans?

This guy is being a tree.

Flickr: andymorffew

This cat has been planning her costume as "The Yard" since July.

imgur.com

This lizard is doing a fine job as a cake topper.

reddit.com / Via imgur.com

This panda is a very convincing bamboo tree.

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This Goldendoodle Won Halloween

A truly strong Halloween showing from Oliver the Goldendoodle, who is a dead ringer for everyone’s favorite cat enthusiast.

That's Alf, for you youngs. And here's Oliver capturing his very essence.

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Props to Oliver for reminding us of the happier times when the only thing anyone ever had to worry about was whether a lovable alien would steal their cat for a sandwich.

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Oliver does a pretty great Corduroy too.

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And Fozzie Bear.

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How to Heal Cracked Skin

Cracked skin happens usually when our skin becomes way too dry. As our skin dries, it loses flexibility and the pressure of everyday use causes it to crack. These cracks can be painful but they're also a giant beacon for infections. It's important to treat cracked skin before you end up with a much more serious health problem.

Steps

Treating the Skin

1. Check for infections. You should start by checking for signs of infection. If the area is swollen, releasing pus or blood, or is very tender and painful, you should go immediately to your doctor or local health clinic. Skin cracks are very prone to infection and these infections require professional treatment.
   
   • If you do not have health insurance (and you live in the US), go to the official listing of clinics for low income individuals. You should be able to find a clinic which will scale your bill to the amount of money you have available.
2. Soak your skin with a disinfectant. Start treatment of basic cracks by soaking your skin. Sanitize a bowl, bucket, or tub and then fill it with warm (not hot) water. You'll then want to pour in a little apple cider vinegar to help disinfect your skin. Use about 1 cup per gallon of water. Disinfecting will help cut down on chances for the cracks to become infected.
   
3. Gently exfoliate. Using a clean washcloth, gently rub the affected area. This will remove dead skin cells and allows the products you'll place on your skin to absorb better. Be sure to be gentle and that the washcloth you use is clean.
   
   • Once you've healed the cracks, you can use more aggressive forms of exfoliating but this should not be done more than once a week. Your skin is sensitive and needs to be treated carefully.
4. Apply a layer of moisturizer. Give your skin a final rinse and then apply a layer of moisturizer. You'll want to lock in the moisture that your skin received with the soak, or else you risk drying out your skin even more.
   
   • We recommend a lanolin product but you'll find other recommendations in the next section.
5. Apply wet dressings overnight. If you have time, such as if you can treat your skin overnight or on a weekend, wet dressings may help heal the skin and can at least provide you with greater comfort.^[1] Wet dressings consist of a moist layer of fabric covered by a dry layer. So, for example, let's say your feet are cracked. Wet a pair of socks and then wring them so they don't drip. Put those on and then cover with dry socks. Sleep like this overnight.
   
   • It is important not to do this if you suspect the cracks are infected, since this can make the infection worse.
6. Apply bandages during the day. For treatment during the day, fill the cracks with liquid or gel "bandage" product, or at least with an antibiotic product like Neosporin. You can then cover the area with a protective cotton surgical pad and wrap with gauze. This should reduce pain and speed up the healing process.
   
7. Keep the area clean and protected until the cracks heal. Now you just have to be patient while the cracks heal. Be sure to keep the effected area clean and covered, to prevent further irritation. If the cracks are on your feet, wear socks which are clean and change them at least once (if not twice) a day until the cracks heal. If the cracks are on your hands, wear gloves when you're outside and for activities like washing dishes.
   

Maintaining Moisture

1. Make a long term moisturizing routine. Once you've started to heal the cracks in your skin, your best bet is to start a long term routine to prevent more cracks. Unfortunately, this is a skin problem that is better to focus on preventing then on fixing once it occurs. Whatever moisturizing routine you use, just make sure that it's something you can keep up long-term and use regularly, since this is the best way to prevent future issues.
   
2. Find a lanolin cream. Lanolin, which is a wax-like substance made from wool-producing animals, is nature's best way of protecting skin. Used consistently, you should be able to apply it every other day or every third day and still see the same soft skin. When you first start using it, apply it liberally at night and give it time to soak into your skin.
   
   • Bag Balm is the most common brand of lanolin product in the US and can be found at most drug stores.
3. Look for the right ingredients in other moisturizers. If not using lanolin, you'll want to analyze what moisturizing products you do buy. You'll want products with the right kinds of ingredients, to guarantee that you get the right effect. Many moisturizers will include lots of natural, healthy sounding ingredients but they won't actually help your skin very much. You'll want to instead look for these in the ingredients list^[2]:
   
   • Humectants, which draw moisture into your skin. Examples include glycerin and lactic acid.
   • Emollients, which protect your skin. Examples include lanolin, urea, and silicon oils.
4. Apply a light layer directly after bathing or soaking. Every time you bath or expose your cracked skin to water, you're washing away natural oils which protect your skin. Apply at least a light level of moisturizer after every shower, as well as any time you soak your feet.
   
5. Apply a thick layer of moisturizer at night. If you can, apply a thick layer of moisturizer before going to bed at night. This will give your feet time to really soak all of that healing product in, while making sure that you're not bothered by squishy skin. Cover your skin thickly in moisturizer and then put on a layer to protect the moisturizer while it soaks in.
   
   • If the cracks are on your feet, use socks. If the cracks are on your hands, use gloves.

Controlling the Problem

1. Check for health problems. There are many health problems which can cause severely dry skin like this. You might want to evaluate your health and make sure none of these problems are effecting you. If you are suffering from a larger condition, it's important to treat it before the cracks reappear and become infected...or before other, more dangerous symptoms come up.
   
   • Diabetes is one common example of an illness which can cause severely dry skin in the extremities. ^[3]
   • Talk to your doctor for help in figuring out if you have outside health factors.
2. Avoid removing your natural oils. Your body will naturally produce oils which help protect your skin and prevent cracks. However, an incorrect bathing routine can strip your skin of these natural oils and put you at risk. Mostly you'll want to avoid harsh soaps and hot water, since both will send your body's oils running.
   
   • If you soak your feet, don't use soaps in the water. Generally you want to avoid soap on sensitive skin, like your feet. Water and a washcloth should be more than enough to get them clean.
3. Protect your skin from the elements. When the air gets really cold, it also dries out. The area you live in might also be naturally dry. This dry air, draws moisture out from your skin naturally. Protect your skin from drying out by evening out the moisture in the air or by protecting your skin. Place a humidifier in your home or office and wear socks and gloves when you go outside.
   
   • You skin should also be protected from the sun, which can create damage and dryness over time.
4. Change your shoes. If the cracks you experience are mainly on your feet, you might want to take a look at your shoes.^[4] Shoes with open backs and poor padding can lead cracks to form by putting too much pressure on already sensitive skin. Use closed shoes and make sure they're very comfortable.
   
   • Switch to jogging shoes or at least use insoles to protect your feet from pressure.
5. Drink more water. Dehydration can definitely make your skin more prone to being dry and when you combine it with improper washing and a dry environment, it's a recipe for cracked skin. Drink plenty of water each day to keep your body properly hydrated.
   
   • How much is the right amount depends on the individual person. Generally, if your pee is pale or clear, you're getting enough. If it's not, you need to drink more water.
6. Get proper nutrients. Your skin needs lots of vitamins and nutrients in order to keep growing in healthy. You can make some improvements to the quality of your skin by making sure that nutrient deficiency is not the source of your problem. Get lots of vitamin A, vitamin E, and omega 3 fatty acids, to help your skin get what it needs to be healthy.
   
   • Good sources of these nutrients include: kale, carrots, sardines, anchovies, salmon, almonds and olive oil.
7. Evaluate your weight. Obesity and excess weight are commonly attached to conditions of severely dry skin. If you find yourself unable to beat this dry skin problem and no outside health factors are in play, you will want to consider trying to lose weight. Remember that this cracked skin poses a serious risk of infection: while the problem might seem small, it can actually be very dangerous and you shouldn't dismiss the problem.
   
8. Talk to your doctor. Again, if you are ever concerned because the cracks won't go away or because they're infected, please see your doctor or go to a clinic. This is a common problem and there are many solutions available. You doctor should be able to help you figure out if this is a problem you can beat with a routine, or if medication will be needed to help prevent infections.
   

Tips

• Naturally dry skin or thick dry skin (callus) around the heel that is more likely to crack is often due to excessive feet activity.
• Back-open sandals or shoes allow the fat under the heel to expand sideways and increases the possibility of cracks on the heels.
• Disease and disorders such as athlete’s foot, psoriasis, eczema, thyroid disease, diabetes and some other skin conditions may cause cracked heels. Speak to your doctor for advice.
• Prolonged standing at work or home on hard floors may cause cracks in the feet.
• Being overweight may increase the pressure on the normal fat pad under the heel, causing it to expand sideways and if the skin lacks flexibility the pressure on the feet lead to cracked heels.
• Continuous exposure to water- Water, especially running water, can rob the skin of its natural oils and this can leave the skin dry and rough. Standing for prolonged periods in a damp area such as a bathroom can cause dry and cracked heels.

Related wikiHows

• How to Get Rid of Cracked Heels Fast
• How to Eliminate Cracked Fingertips with Castor Oil

Sources and Citations

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17 Dogs Who Absolutely Hate Halloween

“Make it stop”-these dogs

The pup who was the only one to wear a costume to daycare.

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And the one who literally faked dying to not go out in this outfit.

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This guy who really thinks the wig is a bit much.

imgur.com

These two unamused penguins.

iraffiruse.net

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People Are Dressing Their Pets As Beanie Babies And It's Almost Too Much

Has cuteness finally gone too far?

Remember Beanie Babies? Those cute little toys from the '90s everyone thought would be worth something some day.

Flickr: bludgeoner86 / BuzzFeed

They're back and cuter than ever.

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Pet owners everywhere are slaying the dress-up game with a simple yet ingenious costume idea.

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All you need is a homemade TY tag....

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How to Build an Equatorial Wedge for Your Telescope

Astronomy is a very popular hobby. Humans have been interested in the things they can see in the sky since before recorded history, and that interest shows no sign of abating. There are many brands and types of telescopes out there. The vast majority of affordable amateur telescopes that you can purchase come with what are known as "alt-azimuth" mounts. This means that the telescope's OTA (Optical Tube Assembly) can be pivoted up and down (altitude) and right or left (azimuth).

These are fine for visual observation and short exposure photography, but if you want to try your hand at astrophotography, you will need to mount your telescope on an equatorial (EQ) mount that allows you to align your telescope with the latitude at your location.

Upgrading your alt-az mount to equatorial can be expensive, though. Commercial EQ wedges will run you anywhere from $200 up. Equatorial mounts can also be expensive, particularly if they are computerized for "Go To" capability. Used ones can be obtained for less, but why buy one when you can build your own and learn something new in the process?

This article will walk you through the construction of a simple, fixed-elevation equatorial wedge. Most amateur astronomers observe the sky from the same place every night, so a fixed-angle wedge is all that is needed. This one, however, can easily be modified to allow adjustment if you so desire.

The images depict a wedge for a Celestron NexStar 6SE 6" Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, but with a little ingenuity and some elbow grease the concepts can be applied to any telescope mount.

Steps

1. Identify the latitude for your chosen viewing location. For amateur purposes, you only need to narrow it down to an accuracy of one tenth of a degree, rounded up to the nearest tenth. For example, downtown Boston is located at 42.3 degrees north latitude. Write this down -- you will need it later on. There are several ways you can obtain the coordinates for the location.
   
   • With any GPS that can display your position (on a Garmin device, for example, the "Where am I?" screen will show your current coordinates).
   • Any smartphone app such as GPS Status that can do the same using the internal GPS.
   • With Google Earth
   • With Google Maps.
2. Measure the base of your telescope mount. You will need to measure the length and width of the mount. Assuming that you already made sure your plank of wood is at least four inches wider than the mount, add four inches to the length of the mount at the base.
   
3. From the edge of the plank, measure the distance to match the number of inches or mm calculated in step 2. Draw a line with the pencil across from edge to edge. From that line, measure twice the distance and draw a second line. Halfway between, draw a third line. The first measurement will give you the wood for the base mount, the second for the longer plank that will bolt to the top of the telescope tripod. In the end you should have three lines, all the same distance from each other.
   
4. Cut the plank. You will first cut one smaller piece for the telescope mount and a second piece, twice as long, for the tripod base. That piece will have the line you drew right across the middle.
   
5. Mark the centers. On the smaller piece, mark the center by drawing two lines diagonally from the corners. On the larger piece, do the same but from the edge to the line drawn halfway down its length.
   
6. Measure and mark the bolt holes. This part is tricky. You will need to measure the distance from the center of the telescope mount to the center of the bolt holes as well as the angles in order to mark and drill the holes. You'll need to do the same for the bolt holes on the top of the tripod, but keep in mind that the bolt hole layout may be different, so don't assume they are the same.
   
7. Drill the bolt holes. You may have to adjust a bit and make the holes oversize to get them to fit properly. That's OK, as long as you use washers the boards will not move on the tripod. On the smaller board, use a jigsaw or small saw to cut from the edge of the board to the bolt hole whose radius is perpendicular to the edge, as shown in this image. The cuts should create a slot whose sides align with the edges of the drilled hole. This will make it easier to mount the telescope base to the wedge.
   
8. Install the hinge. If you have not done so already, cut the piano hinge to the width of the board for the telescope mount. Carefully align the hinge on the line you drew halfway down the length, clamp it down and install one side of it using two wood screws on each end. You can then remove the clamp. Place the telescope mount board next to the hinge with the slot cut away from the hinge, hold it as close to the hinge as possible and screw it to the side edge of the board. The hinge should touch the base and the telescope mount board should hinge up, as shown in the image.
   
9. Bolt the wedge to the top of the telescope mount, making sure you use washers on each bolt.
   
10. Decide how you will support the telescope mount base. At this point you can do one of two things. You can cut triangular pieces of wood to insert underneath the telescope mount board and hold it at a fixed angle, or you can cut larger pieces to attach on the outside of the long base board to support the telescope mount, but also give you the ability to modify the angle if needed. The tricky part here is the geometry. The top surface of the telescope base mount must be raised to an angle equal to the latitude of your location (you did write that down in step 1, right?) That angle needs to be as accurate as possible, but for amateur purposes the tolerances need not be microscopic.
    
11. Build the supports. In my case, I used two pieces of wood, cut them roughly to the shape of a slice of pizza, with the radius about an inch longer than 1/2 the length of the telescope base mount board, and attached it to the outside of the wedge with screws. You can (and probably should) use a wood router to make dado cuts and apply glue. I used wood screws.
    
12. Raise the board to the desired angle. Remember to measure the angle of the top surface of the board. Triple-check the angle, secure the board and drill holes on each side slightly smaller than the wood screws and into the edge of the board. Insert screws.
    
13. At this point you should have a working wedge. All you need is a clear night, and an understanding of how to polar align the telescope. The shelf under the telescope mount board can be used to store eyepieces, or a larger battery to power the scope's electronics. Sand everything down to remove any splinters and sharp edges and finish to your preference.
    
14. You now have a platform for astrophotography! Enjoy!
    

Tips

• The reason a wedge is needed for astrophotography is that if you do not align the telescope to true north, a photographic exposure of any significant length will show trails on all points of light except the one at the center of the image.

Warnings

• If your telescope mount and OTA (optical tube assembly) are large, the wedge will make them even heavier. Be careful when moving the unit, and check the tripod's specifications to make sure it can handle the additional weight of the wedge.
• Wear safety glasses at all times when performing the construction, cutting wood, painting, etc. 

Things You'll Need

• One plank of strong solid oak, 3/4" thick, five feet long and at least four inches wider than the base of your scope mount (for the 6SE, 11.25" wide will do).
• Six bolts with washers
  • Three 3/8" by 1.5"
  • Three 5/16" by 1.5"
  • These are the sizes required for the Celestron NexStar mount, check your mount to see if it's different.
• A length of piano hinge as long as your plank of oak is wide (if it's longer, trim it with metal-cutting snips).
• #10 screws, 1.5" long, countersunk heads (regular heads will do but countersinking is easy and looks better).
• A protractor.
• A ruler.
• Hand drill with a variety of bits for wood.
• Some kind of saw to cut the wood (I used a jig saw).
• A screwdriver.
• A #2 pencil for marking.
• For finishing...
  • Various grades of sandpaper
  • Your choice of a paint or stain
  • A clean rag to take off the excess if staining
  • A paint brush
  • If you plan to use it outdoors a lot, you may want to purchase a good wood sealant like spar urethane in a spray can.

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