Apple Crisp with Extra Crispy Topping by Barbara
Your apple crisp will have an extra crispy granola bar texture if you make it this way, i.e., put the butter on top just before baking. Granny Smith apples are my preference for an apple crisp, but any apple will do. This is not a picky recipe. It is super easy, and a fall favorite. I made it for Tom's birthday this year.
---Barbara
Apple Crisp
Makes 8 servings
8 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 t. salt
1-2 T. white sugar
1 t. cinnamon, preferably Vietnamese
For the topping:
1 cup flour
1 cup uncooked old-fashioned oats
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecans, chopped or broken bits
1/2 t. salt
1 T. cinnamon
1/4 t. cardamom (optional)
1 cup (1 stick) (8 T.) unsalted butter, cut into tiny cubes
You will need a 2 quart casserole for this dish.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Wash, peel, core and slice the apples into wedges, and place them in the casserole.
Squeeze the lemon juice over the apples and toss to coat them.
Sprinkle 1/2 t. salt, 1-2 T. sugar, the cinnamon and cardamom over the apples and toss to coat them.
In a separate bowl, combine the topping ingredients:
Add 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of oats, 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 cup of nuts (pecans) with 1 t. salt and 1 T. of cinnamon, then toss together, breaking up any brown sugar bits, so that they mixture becomes homogenous.
Apply it evenly on top of the apples, pressing it to the edges, until all of the apples are covered and the topping is flat.
Cut the cold butter into tiny squares, i.e., cut the stick into thirds lengthwise and then in thirds again, then crosswise, to make tiny cubes.
Place the tiny cubes evenly all across the topping, without letting them touch each other.
Bake for about 45 to 1 hour until the topping is evenly brown and you can see or hear the apples bubbling around the edges.
It is also good served at room temperature. Or cold. That's the way Tom likes it.
Note: the topping will not stay crispy after covering it.
---Barbara
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