Warm Apple Crumble
Fall is the season for apples. Whether harvesting baskets full of them from a local farm or sourcing them from local markets, filling our homes with the aroma of apples is a time-honored tradition still widely practiced. Making Warm Apple Crumble with vanilla-bean-infused whipped cream and sharing it with my favorite people is one of my favorite ways to enjoy apples in the Fall. I love the feeling of this time of year. When the sun is lower, and the warmth of the light fills my upstairs landing, it prompts me to pause and renew. It’s an invitation to welcome others into the home for a casual afternoon, outside or inside, to enjoy a delicious dessert and savor the gift of being together.
“It is simple: food is comfort, warmth, unity, and home.”
- Paige
Join me while I make preparations on this golden-hued Alabama day. Let’s make Warm Apple Crumble for my friends to enjoy this afternoon on the back porch.
I filled an heirloom cast iron skillet with a mixture of crisp apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, walnuts, and rolled oats for this dish. The aroma fills the house as it bakes and immediately immerses me in the season's warmth. This cast iron skillet holds generations of stories and recipes passed down from my mother's side of the family. Using it feels like a warm hug from my grandmother's kitchen to mine. Gifted heirlooms have an unmatched warmth; they display a family’s heritage and weave the story of past generations into the present.
As an interior designer and lover of home, I create an atmosphere every day through visual beauty, presentation, and feeling. Regarding food, I am preparing with my heart just as much as my hands. I imagine how the food will taste and how it will look and feel to those I’ve lovingly prepared it for. I think a meal should be a feast for the eyes, the soul, and the heart.
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SHOP THE CURATED KITCHEN COLLECTION
I want my friends to feel cared for, rested, and loved for a few hours today. I am often reminded of how precious time is and the priceless value of spending it with those closest to you. I’m gathering a thoughtful collection of vintage pieces to serve the dessert and crafting a setting that feels like we are one with nature.
The screened-in porch is perfect for gathering with friends and enjoying our Warm Apple Crumble. This time of year, the afternoon is charming as the soft shadows of the sunlight settle in and the temperature drops a little more.
We’re all gathered around a chippy farm table with a 19th-century crock centerpiece filled with foraged-dried wheat from the fields behind our home. Crocks are a beautiful way to display florals and dried branches - they add a unique, organic texture to the table. A large breadboard, rich with patina from decades of use, holds white ironstone bowls filled with the homemade goodness of the season. Vintage silver spoons and damask napkins add the perfect contrast and balance to the warmth of the wood.
We all topped our portions with the vanilla-bean whipped cream and sat down to savor this perfect Fall treat.
“I think that when you invite people to your home, you invite them to yourself.”
- Oprah Winfrey
As I was sitting in the company of my friends, I looked out across the land our home sits on; my heart was completely full. I couldn’t help but think about all of the harvest seasons that have come and gone, how those who lived many years ago prepared the land and sustained their families on it. That moment gave me an overwhelming feeling of thankfulness to be a part of their story, and they a part of ours.
The ways we prepare and sustain our lives today may look different, but the core of who we are - how we make others feel welcome and ‘at home’ - will always remain the same.
-Apple Crumble Recipe-
HUGS,
PAIGE
“COOKING IS ONE OF THE GREATEST GIFTS YOU CAN GIVE TO THOSE YOU LOVE.”
Ina Garten