Ok, so... last night I was gonna make steak & potatoes & then post it, but I got an invite from my neighbors that I couldn't pass up. Who could say no to brats & beer?!?! NOT ME!! So, to feel like I contributed something, I used my go to dessert recipe, Apple crisp. go ahead, you can say it. mmmmmmmmmmmm (in a very Homer Simpson way).
I have tried several variations to this. I have added mixed berries, raisins, green apples, red apples, mixes of apples... the possibilities are endless. It's always the first dessert to be demolished, its a total crowd pleaser, its easy to make, & it's cheap as hell to make!
Like an idiot, I forgot to take pictures. The next time I make it I will. But I will tell you a few tricks that I've learned.
-For instance, when using green apples, add half the juice of a freshly squeezed small to medium orange. I've used store bought orange juice & it's not the same, fresh squeezed is sweeter, among other freshly picked attributes. BUT if it's all u got, use a decent splash. The orange juice still helps keep the apples from browning, it counteracts the tartness of the green apples & adds a nice balance of sweet and tart. Which is exactly what you want when uses green apples. Green apples are my favorite to bake with. They're perfectly tart and firm and yummy.... I'm rambling...moving on.
-Out of brown sugar?? NO WORRIES, make your own!! its just molasses & white sugar. I've googled it several times & sources all say, for light brown sugar - 1 cup sugar, 1 tbsp molasses. throw in a blender & mix till thoroughly incorporated & fluffy. I generally use a bit more molasses. I like mine a bit darker than light brown but lighter than dark brown. Play with it, it's not gonna hurt anything! If you think u added too much molasses, add a few spoonfuls of sugar till you get it where you want. By the way, it will take a few minutes to mix together & the molasses will clump, initially. Just don't use your wire whisk attachment if you have a Kitchen-aid... I almost broke mine. It does get a little thick. You can also mix it with you hands, which is always fun... if you like getting dirty. ;)
- Quick cook oatmeal or regular, that is the question... it honestly doesn't matter for this recipe. Quick cook oats, visually are thinner, more flake -like They also produce a little more tender, slightly softer, cake-y, but still crunchy texture after baking. Regular or traditional oats give a thicker, more stiff/ crispy texture after baking. Both work fine. I've used a mix of both of them. I'm only telling you this because I wondered the same thing for forever, until I experimented with it. It's not a tremendously noticeable difference, I only noticed because I was the one who made it. haha
- If you want to add berries, fresh or frozen DOES NOT MATTER, add 1/2 cup to 1cup, & add an extra 1-2 Tbsp of flour, depending on how juicy your berries are. Depending on your tastes... I like blackberries the best. They're sweet & they kind of crumble into little berry pieces so you get these teeny bits of berry goodness in every single gigantic apple-y bite. Hence Homer moan again... mmmmmmmm
Celeste's Apple Crisp
pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
Apple mixture-
4-6 medium apples peeled & thinly sliced
1 tsp cinnamon
2-3 Tbls All purpose flour
1/4 c packed brown sugar
juice of 1 lemon (half an orange if using green apples)
2 small pats of butter, cut into quarters (about 2 tbls)
Mix all the above ingredients together, till apples are beautifully coated
Topping mixture-
1/2 c rolled oats
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c softened butter or veggie oil
2 tsp cinnamon
Mix together wheat flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon & butter or oil are completely integrated. should be slightly clumpy and crumbly.
Baking directions-
Using a 2.5 qt baking dish, coat in a non stick spray or butter, concentrating on the sides (I'll explain later). Dump apple mixture into baking dish, spread around evenly, place a few small pats of butter on top of the apples and top with oat mixture. It's ok if there are a few apples poking out.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until nice & brown & bubbly. (when using a deep dish, you won't always see bubbling)
let cool slightly & serve with whipped cream, ice cream or by itself.
& there you have it, perfection.
Now, a few other things... it's ok to use AP flour in the oat mixture if you don't have wheat flour, but DO NOT use wheat flour in the apple mixture. It leaves an unpleasant gritty texture and can still sometimes taste of raw flour, which is never good.
Also, the apples can get stuck of the sides of the baking dish, to make for easy clean up, just butter or spray the sides... it's worth the extra step.
Enjoy!!! Let me know how yours turns out, or what variations you like!
xoxo,
Cel
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