English Expressions 1

Here are some useful idioms using parts of the face.

Amaretto Apple Crumble

If you are running out of dessert ideas, here is a classic English recipe you will surely be happy to try at home. Amaretto Apple Crumble is one of my top favorites.

What’s not to love about this delicious dessert? First, it is a perfect amalgam of flavors. The tart apple filling matches the sweetness of the crumble topping. Plus, who doesn’t love the comforting hint of cinnamon wafting in the air as the dish bakes in the oven? This recipe also has a good blend of textures. The crumble topping is crunchy and the apple filling is soft but not soggy. But my most favorite part about this well-loved dessert is the Amaretto liqueur which gives this recipe extra goodness. You can of course choose not to add Amaretto but why not indulge a little sometimes?

Now, how to make Amaretto Apple Crumble, you ask? It is absolutely easy.

Prepare the ingredients.

I always use brown sugar for any recipe. You may use white sugar but I prefer the brown one because it is not too sweet.

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Step 1

For the apple filling, just mix the ingredients together and toss them in a pan, stir and cook until the apples are a little soft.

*Tip 1. Do not forget to add the lemon zest!

Step 2

**Tip 2. Make sure the butter is cold.

To make the crumble topping, place the flour in a large bowl and add the cold butter cubes. Rub the butter in. This is the fun part and also the most important process to make sure the topping is crumbly.

Rubbing in the butter? Here’s what it means.

Using your fingertips, rub the flour and butter together until you have breadcrumb—like pieces.

Then add in the sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of salt.

***Tip 3. Use a fork to mix them together so as not to add more heat to the butter crumble.

Step 3.

Assemble the apple filling with the toppings.

In a small baking tray, spread the apple filling evenly.

Then sprinkle the crumbles until the apples are fully covered.

****Tip 4. Sprinkle some cinnamon powder on top.

Step 4.

Bake the dish in the oven at 180°C for 20-25 minutes or until the crumble topping is golden brown.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

***Optional steps to make the dish extra special:

💕Add almond flakes for extra crunchiness.

💕Drizzle some caramel sauce. (I use homemade caramel sauce. Let me know if you want the recipe as well.)

Enjoy!!!

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If you have any questions or if you want to learn more recipes from me, please let me know. I would like to start a cooking class in English with you. Don’t you think it would be so fun to share and learn new recipes? I am happy to share my favorite foods with you.

American vs British English

I grew up speaking American English. My husband, Owen is from England which means he speaks British English.

However there would be times (not often) when we actually use 3 or 4 languages at home! Sometimes we use Nihongo mixed with English because we just think it is more convenient to express ourselves using Japanese words. For example, instead of saying, “It’s hot.” We say, ”Atsui!, turn the aircon on.” Or instead of saying “convenient”, we say, “It’s benri.” Our favorite is “Hoooraaa!“ when we want to say “I told you so.” When we travel in the UK we sometimes only talk to each other in Japanese when we do not want other people to know what we are talking about especially when we are on the train! It is always good to be able to speak a foreign language, haha.

I have also taught my husband some short Filipino words and he sometimes uses them. I always laugh at him though because he sounds so funny. Filipino language uses a lot of Spanish words as well. So I think we use Filipino-Spanish. It is quite interesting.

Anyway, English is the main language we speak at home. However, even if we both speak English, there are definitely differences between American English and British English aside from accent. Let me share some with you.