Sounds nice and cozy, doesn't it? A classic apple dessert with a soothing sauce. Nothing better as the air chills and the light dims early. You may make the sauce a day ahead so it is ready when you serve the crisp. It keeps well in the fridge for about a week.
Any of the varieties of apples may be used alone, but the flavor of the crisp will be more interesting if you use a combination. Mix sweet and tart apples for a nice balance. If you like nuts, add about 1 cup, toasted and chopped, to the flour mixture. You may also add a bit of lemon or orange zest to the topping.
For the Caramel Sauce
1 recipe Caramel Sauce made with heavy cream. Click here. It is a separate recipe.
For the Apple Crisp
6 apples, quartered, peeled, and cored (Granny Smith, Baldwin, Russet, Northern Spy, Fuji, Jonagold, Golden Delicious)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 pInches of allspice
2 pInches of mace
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
Make the caramel sauce and set it aside. If made ahead, warm over low heat, stirring often, until warmed, but not too hot.
For the crisp, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grab a 2-quart baking dish.
Cut the apple quarts into 3 or 4 sliced depending on their size. You may also cut them into irregular medium-size chunks if you prefer. The slices should not be too thin. Sprinkle the apple with the lemon juice, the white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of allspice and mace. Toss the apples to coat with the mixture and pour into the baking dish.
Combine the flour, brown sugar, remaining cinnamon, and a pinch of allspice and mace in a bowl or food processor. Cut in the butter and mix with a pastry cutter until it looks like coarse meal. If using the food processor, cut the butter into tablespoon size pieces and pulse until the mix looks like coarse meal. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the topping is browned and the apples are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
Let the crisp rest for a little bit and serve warm with the Caramel Sauce.
Recipe and Photograph Copyright Deirdre Davis 2016
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