Name: Mulled Wine Poached Apple Crumble – Winter Dessert with a Spiced Twist
Ingredients: 4 large apples (such as Gala, Honeycrisp, or Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and sliced; 2 cups red wine (Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon); ½ cup apple cider or juice; ¼ cup brown sugar; Zest and juice of 1 orange; 2–3 cinnamon sticks; 4 whole cloves; 2 star anise; 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced thin; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour); ¾ cup rolled oats (certified gluten-free, if needed); ½ cup brown sugar; ½ tsp salt; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp ground nutmeg; ½ cup cold unsalted butter (or vegan butter substitute), diced; Optional: ½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans); Vanilla ice cream, custard, crème fraîche, or whipped cream; Drizzle of leftover spiced poaching liquid

Ingredients

Scale

Mulled Wine Poached Apples

4 large apples (such as Gala, Honeycrisp, or Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and sliced
2 cups red wine (Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon)
½ cup apple cider or juice
¼ cup brown sugar
Zest and juice of 1 orange
2–3 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
2 star anise
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced thin
1 tsp vanilla extract

Crumble Topping

1 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
¾ cup rolled oats (certified gluten-free, if needed)
½ cup brown sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ cup cold unsalted butter (or vegan butter substitute), diced
Optional: ½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

Serving Garnish (Optional)

Vanilla ice cream, custard, crème fraîche, or whipped cream
Drizzle of leftover spiced poaching liquid

Instructions

A. Poach the Apples

Combine wine, cider, brown sugar, orange juice, zest, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and ginger in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Add apple slices, cover, and simmer gently for 12–15 minutes until apples soften but maintain shape.
Remove apples with a slotted spoon; discard cinnamon and spices.
Stir vanilla extract into syrup and set aside a few spoonfuls for serving glaze.

B. Prepare the Crumble

Mix flour, oats, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl.
Add cold diced butter and rub with fingers or use pastry cutter until pea-sized crumbs form.
Stir in chopped nuts if desired.

C. Assemble

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Layer poached apples (and any pooled syrup) in prepared baking dish.
Evenly sprinkle crumble mixture over apples.

D. Bake & Serve

Bake 25–30 minutes until topping is golden and crisp.
Rest 5 minutes to allow juices to set.
Spoon into bowls; drizzle with reserved syrup and top with your favorite accompaniment.