Apple Crisp

This tastes like home to me.  Our family adopted it from a friend of the family who spent plenty of time in my teenage years treating me like her own daughter.  She is a sweet lady, and some of the traits I try to emulate as a wife and mother come from her.  (Especially that wife part, as she has a sort of goofy hubby, and Dr. S definitely fits into the goofy scientist category.)

Anyway, during the fall Mrs. S (last name not the same) used to bring home bushels of apples from the local orchard and make this dessert as often as possible.  When I finally asked her to teach me how to make it and where the recipe came from, she said it came from a newspaper clipping of a pie recipe, and instead of going through all the effort to make a pie, she turned it upside down and dumped the crust on top.  Voila!  

This apple crisp has a delightful cinnamon-apple filling and a crunchy sugar cookie topping that really, truly, makes my mouth water just thinking about it.  It's delicious all by itself, with a tall glass of milk, or topped with some vanilla ice cream.  It's amazing when it's piping hot, and awesome served cold for breakfast the next day.  

Let's start with the crisp topping!  Combine flour and sugar together in a large bowl.  I used a food processor because I made an extra huge batch and didn't want to cut in all that butter by hand.  But normally, I would just use a bowl and a pastry blender for the butter.

After the sugar and flour are mixed, cut in the butter.  I usually chop up the (cold) butter into little cubes first to help give it a head start.  Growing up, Mama didn't have a pastry blender, so I always used the two knives crossing each other method.  But if you're into making pies and crisps and biscuits, I highly recommend investing in that pastry blender (click here to see a better explanation of using the pastry blender).

In the food processor though, I just turned it on and let the motor do the work.  

It's ready when it starts to hold together a bit...

It will be crumby and crumbly and perfect for dumping over cinnamon-coated apples.

Speaking of which, let's get those apples ready.  Granny Smith are my favorite, peeled and sliced paper-thin.  But you can use any variety of apple you choose.  During apple season there are lots of yummy kinds that taste good too, like macintosh, spartan, cortland, or whatever.  I definitely recommend something with a little tartness, and something that keeps some firmness when baked.

Slice those apples and put them in a deep baking dish.

Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl,

And mix it up!

Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the apples,

and stir to coat.

Then comes the topping!  Spread liberally and unevenly.  It makes for a gloriously rustic spoonful of heaven.  Try to cover up all the apples so you get moist, saucy apples and not dry, chewy ones.

Bake at 425 for awhile to toast that topping before reducing the heat so the apples can cook.

Don't forget to turn down the oven though. :)

Bake until the top is golden brown and the apples are bubbly!

Apple Crisp

for the topping:

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

2/3 cup cold butter

for the filling:

5 to 6 tart apples, peeled and sliced paper thin

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

To make the topping, combine flour and sugar in large mixing bowl.  Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.  Set aside.  Peel and slice apples, then place in 8" square baking dish.  Combine cinnamon and sugar in small bowl.  Pour cinnamon sugar over apples.  Stir apples to coat.  Sprinkle topping over apples, trying not to leave any apples exposed.  Bake at 425 for 10 to 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbly.