A favourite old fashioned dessert but just as good as it always was! Anne gave me this recipe ages ago, who knows where it comes from. I got to use our own apples to make it! Great with ice-cream!
Makes 4 – 6 Servings
For The Crisp:
4 apples, peeled, cored & sliced ¼” thick (approx. 4 cups)
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ tsp. grated lemon zest (a microplane makes quick work of this task)
¼ cup sugar (you can use white, I prefer brown, golden or light Muscavado)
¼ tsp. cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
Crisp Topping Mix:
2 cups unbleached flour (or I use 1 cup each of unbleached & wholewheat flour)
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Place into a storage container in the fridge or freezer for up to 2 months. I generally put mine into the freezer, where it keeps much longer.
To Use Mix:
Combine 1 ¼ cups of mix with 1/3 cup melted butter. If you like, you can add ¼ cup chopped nuts or shredded coconut to the mixture. Spread over the top of the fruit and bake according to the recipe you are using.
Make the crisp topping according to the directions. Set aside. You will have more than what you need but put into a freezer bag and tuck away in the freezer until the next time you want to make a quick dessert.
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Grease a 2 quart baking dish; set aside.
Combine the apples with the lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium-sized bowl. Place the apple mixture into the baking dish, top with the crumbs. Place in the oven and bake for 30 – 35 minutes. Check to see if it’s done by inserting a skewer into the apples to make sure they are soft, if not, bake a little longer. If the crumb topping is getting too brown for your liking, simply lay a piece of tin foil on top.
Variations:
One of the things I like to add to the crisp is either 1/3 cup raisins or dried cranberries that have been soaked in a few tablespoons of dark rum for an hour. When I do that I leave out the lemon juice.
If I have pears on hand, I will substitute a pear for one of the apples…makes a really nice combination!
