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Cookbook | Recipes | United States | Dessert

Apple Crisp is a dessert made up of a baked apple filling and a crispy crumb topping. It is similar to cobbler, which has a biscuit-like (USA biscuit that is) or cake-like topping. Cool room temperature is required to create a nice crisp topping. To serve Apple Crisp, spoon it into a bowl and, optionally, add vanilla ice cream. Apple Crisp also goes well with a glass of milk.

Ingredients

• 6 cups sliced and cored baking apples (for example, Granny Smith)
• 1/2 cup (100 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (100 g) rolled oats
• 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) cinnamon
• 1/3 cup (75 g) cold butter or cold margarine
• 2/3 to 3/4 cup (120-150 g) brown sugar

Procedure

1. In a medium bowl stir together flour, brown sugar, and oatmeal. If the room temperature is a bit warm, you should cool this mixture.
2. Prepare the apples. This should be completed before mixing butter into the topping. It is helpful to choose apples that do not brown quickly; Granny Smith apples are a good choice. Do not use Red Delicious apples; they turn to mush. Place the apples into a 9-inch square baking dish; glass is best.
3. Add the butter or margarine to the topping. Mix it via a slicing action, so that the butter or margarine forms tiny little chunks and does not melt or smear. A pair of butter knives, used like scissors, is good for this. You must work quickly once you start this step.
4. Sprinkle the filling onto the apples. You may pat it down just a bit.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes in a 375 °F oven. Do not remove the crisp before the top is dark brown. Black spots indicate burning. It is better to burn a few small spots, which you can then remove, than to risk undercooking the topping.

Alternate Recipe

• 4 cups apples, sliced
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup melted margarine or butter

Put apples in shallow 8 inch pan. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine all dry ingredients with butter and mix until crumbly. Sprinkle all this over apples and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serves: 8

Other Alternate Recipe

• 5 cups of apples
  
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
  
• 3/4 cup oats
  
• 1/2 cup flour
  
• 1/4 pound butter
  
• 1 tsp cinnamon
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• lemon to taste
  
• 1/3 cup water
  
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  

Preheat a conventional oven to 350° Fahrenheit / 180° Celsius. Thinly slice the apples and place them in a buttered pan, and sprinkle them with lemon for flavor and to prevent them from turning brown. Peeling the apples is traditional, but not required. Add 1/3 cup of water and cinnamon to taste.
Meanwhile, to make the topping combine the butter, sugar, oats, flour, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg, and crumble the ingredients in a bowl with your fingers to create a uniform mixture. Cover the apples with the topping and bake for 30-45 minutes or until the apples are soft and the topping is crisped. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. Loose oats can be sprinkled sparingly on the surface of the topping before baking for added texture.

Notes, tips, and variations

• Any type of apple may be used, baking or sweet, or a mixture of types.
• Cooked apple dishes are a good use for substandard apples, eg damaged, wrinkled & windfall.
• Crisps can be made with most any sort of fruit. Pineapple is a good choice.
• Some fruits, especially peaches, go better in a cobbler.
• Raisins can be added to the apples at the beginning, and 1/2 teaspoon of powdered ginger, or a sprinkling of nutmeg can also be put in.
• 'Mixed spice' (cinnamon, coriander, clove & other spices) is a perfect addition to apple dishes. This is more popular in Britain than the US.