Here’s a perfect fall desert, suitable for a simple family meal, or a festive holiday feast. It comes from our friends over at Olivetoeat.com, a great place for real recipes, and resources in Southern Ontario.
Ingredients
Filling:
5 cups cored, peeled, and very thinly sliced apples (about 6 to 8 apples, ask your farmer which available apples are best for apple crisp)
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
Dash of grated nutmeg
Topping:
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¾ cup all-purpose flour (measured by spooning in, then leveling off with a knife)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (preferably Vietnamese cinnamon)
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
Preparation Instructions
Place oven rack in middle of oven; preheat oven to 375°F.
In a large bowl, toss the apples with ¾ cup brown sugar and dash of nutmeg until evenly coated. Pour filling into a 9” square baking dish and level gently with a spatula.
Add all topping ingredients (except butter) to a medium bowl; stir to combine evenly. Add butter to bowl; blend with your fingertips or a pastry blender to break down the butter into the flour until the mixture becomes crumbly, resembling coarse breadcrumbs without any large chunks of butter. Sprinkle topping mixture evenly over apples.
Bake until apples are tender and topping is browned, about 35 minutes. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Spoon into pretty cups and serve warm with vanilla ice cream or cold with whipped cream.
I have my Mom’s handwritten copy of this recipe. She called it Apple Crisp – Dad’s Favourite and included a little story about the recipe’s origin – it was submitted to St. Andrews United Church in Chatham, by the mother of my aunt’s boyfriend in grade 4 in 1942.
This is an easy – and I think more delicious – way to enjoy warm apple pie without the fuss of the crust. It is packed with tart apples and brown sugar and has a crumbly, cinnamon-scented streusel topping. The butter, spices, apple juices, and brown sugar meld together in a delicious mélange that caramelizes around the edges. It smells so wonderful cooking. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream – or perhaps Belly Ice Cream’s Caramel and Sea Salt ice cream.