Apple Crisp… Yum

I love experimenting with new recipes but sometimes an old favorite can really hit the spot. I was craving something sweet, which is not unusual, but I also wanted something warm. Apple Crisp? Yes please!

This is a pretty easy recipe that I adapted from http://www.joythebaker.com/ and doesn’t require much active time, the baking is probably the longest part of the process. Also, most of the ingredients, which I consider to be my kitchen staples, I already had on hand, so I didn’t have to spend very much at all to make this.

What you’ll need…

And the equipment…

• Cutting Board
• Knife
• 1/3 cup
• 1 cup
• 1/2 teaspoon
• 1 teaspoon
• 1 tablespoon
• 8 x 8 baking dish (or a 9 x 13, but the crisp will be shallow)
• peeler (or small paring knife)
• 2 large bowls

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Grease your baking dish with butter. Don’t be shy

Chop 2/3 cup of nuts. You can be creative here. If you don’t have a specific type of nut in the house, like walnuts, you can use something like pecans or almonds. The flavor will be slightly different, but the texture quality will be similar.

Combine 1 1/3 cups of flour, 1 1/3 cups of  lightly packed brown sugar, 1/2 of teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 stick of very soft butter, 2/3 cup of chopped nuts, and 1/3 cups of quick cooking oats for the topping. Heaven in a bowl.

If you are in a time crunch and don’t have time to let the butter soften at room temperature, it can be microwaved. Keep an eye on it because it melts quickly (like mine). For this dessert, though, it’s okay if the butter gets a little over melty.

Here’s another place for creativity. If you’re a big fan of tart desserts, opt for all Granny Smith Apples. They have a great tart flavor and an excellent crunch. If sour isn’t your thing, you can substitute in another firm apple like Gala. Or you can do a combination of apples.

Peel six apples

Slice the apples. If you want, you can core the apples with an apple corer. I normally bypass that step because I don’t like extra dishes. I just cut around the core

Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon and 3 tablespoons of sugar and toss

Grab a large handful of the topping and add it to the apples and mix it all together. Resist the urge to lick your fingers. Actually, don’t resist…

Throw the delicious mess into your buttered baking dish and…

Cover it all with the remaining glorious topping.

Now the hardest part of the entire recipe. Wait. Wait for 60 agonizing, brutal minutes until your crisp comes out of the oven, bubbling and hot and amazing.

Apple Crisp (adapted from http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2008/10/sit-and-stay-awhile-apple-crisp/)

Filling

• 6 medium-size apples, peeled and sliced
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon

Topping

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups lightly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 stick unsalted butter, well-softened
• 2/3 cup walnuts, chopped (optional, but totally delicious)
• 1/3 cup quick cooking oats

Method

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 dish with butter
• Combine flour, brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, butter, and oats in a large bowl. Add the softened butter and incorporate with your fingertips until fully combined. Set aside.
• Place the peeled and cut apples in a large bowl and add the 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon and granulated sugar and mix, making sure to cover the apples.
• Take a large handful of the topping and eat it, I mean, combine it with the apple mixture.
• Pour the apple mixture into the greased dish. Cover the apples with the remaining topping.
• Bake crisp until the topping has turned a brilliant, golden brown and the apples become bubbly and delicious, about 55-60 minutes. Your kitchen will smell like heaven, too.
• Serve the crisp hot and add a little vanilla ice cream if you’re feeling crazy.