When I think of July 4th, one of the first things that pops into my mind is good ol’ apple pie. The epitome of American cuisine, along with its equally famous cousin the hot dog, apple pie is near and dear to my heart. So how does this dish transition into the fall and winter? By becoming apple crisp, of course! A crisp is a baked fruit dessert topped with crunchy layer of deliciousness and baked until the topping is a golden brown.
I found that this recipe can feed at least six people, maybe more if portion size was smaller. Note of warning: this recipe is not the healthy in the least bit; I could almost feel my arteries clogging with all of the butter and sugar I used. However, as Parks and Recreation taught us, it’s always a good idea to “treat yo’self” from time to time!
For the crumb topping:
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats (I used Quaker)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, diced into small chunks
For the apple filling:
- 4 large green apples (I used Granny Smith apples)
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons milk (I used skim but I’m assuming any fat % would work!)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Make sure to preheat oven to 375 degrees F!
Peel and cut apples into small chunks.
In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the topping until it resembles small crumbs (or chunks of granola, which was my first impression when I saw it). Resist the urge to try it… succumb and taste a tiny amount and then refrigerate while you prepare the apple filling.
In a small bowl, combine together the melted butter and flour. Follow with milk and vanilla extract, stir well. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon.
Pour filling mixture over the diced apples and toss to coat. Then pour the apple mixture into a 9×9 inch baking dish.
Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the apples evenly so the entire dish is covered.
Bake the crisp for 35 minutes. You’ll know when it’s ready to come out once the crisp is golden brown.
Let cool and then serve however you’d like! We went classic by pairing the warm crisp with all-natural vanilla ice cream.
Enjoy!! Here’s the link to the original recipe, although I tweaked a few ingredients during the baking process.
