Apple Crisp

Apple Crisp

This is the "Scheduled For Thanksgiving Day But Turned Out To Be A Post-Thanksgiving Apple Crisp."

I planned to make this at my parent's house on Thanksgiving Day. After cooking the turkey, I planned to place a fresh apple crisp in the oven and the whole house will begin to smell of apples, cinnamon and sugar. Cue the Hallmark Channel-like food memories. But I was 3/4 of the way to my parent's house and realized I left the topping I made in advance in the freezer.

(Don't worry, I did remember to bring a beautiful Kings Hawaiian Paradise Cake to Thanksgiving so we were fine!)

Thus, this became a Monday Morning Meeting Apple Crisp!

I used Martha Stewart Living's Apple Crisp recipe. I wanted one with oatmeal (you know, so we can pretend it doesn't have a stick of butter..."Hey, it has Apples and Oatmeal! Can't be that bad....")

If you can remember to bring the supplies, this is a easy recipe to bake during a dinner party! The house will smell awesome. You can bring a bag of apples, peel and chop them on your host's kitchen, toss with some cinnamon sugar, and top with your pre-made oatmeal and butter topping.

I brought this to the meeting yesterday, and six of us ate 90% of it in one hour. Luckily, Thanksgiving eating has expanded our tummies! :)

It's very versatile...next time, I think I'll use a mixture of apples and pears...and maybe toss in a few cranberries!

Recipe: Apple Crisp
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Topping:
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (one stick) unsalted butter, diced into cubes
1 cup old fashioned oatmeal (not quick cooking)

Apple Filling:
3 pounds apples, peeled, cored and cut
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Make the Topping: In a large bowl mix together flour, sugars, and salt. Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingers until the mixture has pea-sized butter pieces. Add the oatmeal to the bowl and use your hands to squeeze the mixture together until large moist chunks form. Place the topping in the freezer to chill while you prepare the filling.
3, Make the Apple Filling: Peel, core and cut apples into chunks. Place in a large bowl and toss with lemon, cinnamon, and sugar.
4, Butter a 2-quart baking dish. Place the apple mixture in the baking dish (including any juices) and top with the oatmeal topping. It's best to place the baking dish on a parchment lined baking sheet in case juices overflow. Bake until the top is golden brown and you can see apple juices bubbling underneath. Depending on the size of your pan, this could be from 50-65 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving so the juices have a chance to firm up. Serve by itself or with whipped cream or ice cream. It's great served warm from the oven or microwaved it a bit before serving.