Apple Crisp

My sister Diana recently gave us a bag of apples from her mother-in-law's apple trees that she brought here from New York. I'm not sure what kind of apples they were but Diana used them to bake all sorts of things, including this Apple Crisp recipe. I had saved this recipe a few times before but never made it until last week.

There are a few things I did different from what the recipe says. First, it says to make it in a 2L pan which is the size of my 8x8 baking dish. I used a 9x13 baking dish and anything smaller would not have worked for this amount of apples. I'm not sure how many apples I used but I weighed them to get the amount specified in the recipe and that worked well. This apple corer makes the job a little easier. I sliced my apples pretty thin and they cooked down almost into applesauce, which I didn't mind at all but I would slice them a little thicker next time. I made this without pecans (I didn't have any and one of my sons doesn't like them) and added a few more oats. The top wasn't browning after it baked for the amount of time the recipe called for, so towards the end I put the heat up to 375 degrees and baked it longer (this may have also contributed to the apples breaking down as much as they did, but that also could be due to the type of apples they were as they were pretty soft).

This apple crisp was really good and perfect for fall. I will definitely make it again soon, and maybe make half of it with pecans because I'm sure that is even more delicious!

Apple Crisp

Recipe courtesy “Once Upon a Chef” Website

 

Warm, cozy, and full of fall flavor, this apple crisp has the perfect balance of sweet apples and crunchy topping.

 

FOR THE TOPPING:

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces

½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup chopped pecans

 

FOR THE FILLING:

2½ pounds tart baking apples (about 5 large), peeled, cored, and sliced between ⅛ and ¼-inch thick

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

FOR SERVING (OPTIONAL):

Vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream

 

Preheat the oven to 350° and set an oven rack in the middle position.

 

Make the topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter and, using your fingertips or a pastry blender, work it into the dry ingredients until the mixture forms coarse, clumpy crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Stir in the oats and pecans. Place the bowl in the fridge until ready to use.

 

Make the filling: Generously grease or butter a 9x13 baking dish. In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the granulated sugar and cinnamon.

 

Assemble and bake: Transfer the apple mixture to the prepared baking dish and cover with the topping. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the apples are tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife. If the topping is nicely browned before the apples are tender, loosely tent the dish with foil to prevent the pecans from over-browning and continue baking until the apples are done. Let the crisp cool for at least 20 minutes, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

 

Serves 6.

 

NOTES:

Make-Ahead Instructions: The topping can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. You can also assemble the crisp a few hours before baking, cover tightly, and refrigerate it. Bake directly from the refrigerator, adding a few extra minutes if needed.

Storage: Apple crisp will keep, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, warm it in a 350° oven until the topping is crisp and the filling is heated through, about 15 minutes. It’s also delicious cold or at room temperature.

Freezing Instructions: The baked crisp can be frozen, tightly covered, for up to 3 months. Before serving, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat it, uncovered, in a 300° oven until heated through and crisp on top.