EASY HOMESTYLE APPLE CRISP
Apple picking on Saturday,
crisp baking on sundAY
4-6 servings
Ingredients:
Apple Mixture:
3-5 apples (Golden or McIntosh recommended)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 lemon or orange, or both! (2 tbsp juice and pinch of zest)
Optional: 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Crisp:
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
8 tbsp butter (6 tbsp melted, 2 tbsp sliced cold)
The Blistered Peppers Take:
Most people “go-to” apples in the fall when they’re at their freshest. And of course that makes sense when eating apples raw, dipping apples in peanut or almond butter as a snack, slicing up apples with some cheese (I could go on). But, when using an apple to bake, ANY TIME is the right time. I love apple pie. When you get the crust just right and top that baby with whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream, or both, there’s nothing better. But, it’s time consuming. Making the dough, baking the dough, resting the dough, braiding the crust, the clean up don’t get me started. So on that note, when I’m craving the flavor but don’t have the time or patience, I always throw together an apple crisp. And I say throw together, because it’s one of the easier desserts to make.
Not only does making crisp not require a lot of kitchen tools, but a fair amount of the ingredients can be substituted or not included at all. Skip the nuts, substitute for different nuts, add extra butter to your apple slices to make them extra juicy, don’t have cinnamon, use cloves or allspice, play with different flour types, you can even sub the apples for berries - yes BERRIES! The versatility (should we just trademark this term at this point?) is endless, which you all know we love, here at Blistered Peppers.
This is a dish, though easy, that’s so beautiful. Every time I put an apple crisp on the table people always rave. In my opinion, it’s the forgotten step-child that deserves a constant seat at the table. Because of the sugar mixture and the butter, the top comes out super crispy brown and melts together with the softened apples and I’m telling you the tartness and sweetness makes for the best, best pairing. Take it one step further by baking it off in a cast iron skillet and people will be talking about your apple crisp for years.
Steps:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter your pie pan or square baking dish (9x9).
Peel, core, and slice the apples.
Add the apples to a large bowl or directly into the baking dish.
Sprinkle the apples with ¼ cup brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon or orange juice, zest for some additional tang, and optional nutmeg. Mix well so no clumps remain. (I use my hands)
In a separate bowl, mix the remaining 1/4 cup of brown sugar, flour, oats, walnuts, cinnamon, and salt. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter and add to the dry mixture until no dry spots remain - clumps are okay.
Place the crumble on top of the apples and bake for 45-55 minutes. Check at the 35 minute mark to make sure the top isn’t too brown, if so then cover with foil to prevent burning. About 10 minutes before removing from the oven, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of cold, sliced butter on top of the crisp.
Let cool, enjoy warm… with a side of vanilla ice cream or even whipped cream!
