Apple Crisp

I've blogged about apple crisp here before. The first time was after trying Top Cheftestant Robin Leventhal's Quickfire-winning recipe. It was good, but the orange zest in the topping kinda threw me a flavor curveball that I'm still not sure I liked. Last Fall, I tried famous chef Betty Crocker's version. It was fine, but the cook time of the recipe was off. This time, I decided to take matters in my own hands and put together my own recipe. It's very simple, nicely spiced, and has a super-crunchy topping that stays crusty after refrigeration.

I used Macoun apples, but you can use any type that float your boat.

Crunchy Apple Crisp

6 apples (use your favorite)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
large pinch salt
1 stick cold, unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly grease an 8" or 9" round or square baking pan.

Peel and slice apples. Arrange in the baking pan. (I used one of those peeler/corer/slicer gizmos, which makes the chore go by lickity split. It also leaves the equivalent of half a cup of apple sauce/juice on the countertop.)

Combine the next ten ingredients in a large bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and, using your fingers, smush it around in the bowl with the dry ingredients until pretty well incorporated and the mixture is lumpy. Use the topping to completely cover the apples in the pan.

Bake at 375 for 50-55 minutes until bubbly around the edges and browned on top. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes and serve topped with freshly whipped cream and/or vanilla ice cream.

Posted on Minxeats.com.