Recipe: Apple Crisp

Holiday Dessert Traditions

Nothing says Autumn like the scent of apples and cinnamon in the air. With Thanksgiving around the corner, thought I'd share a seasonal recipe that really puts my family and I in the harvest mood.
My father's birthday is in October and desserts with apples and cinnamon are his absolute favourite. As a result, my whole family really looks forward to the smells and tastes of this autumn treat since it's the kind of dessert we grew up enjoying. You can be sure you'll find apple crisps, crumbles or pies on our holiday table every year.

This time, I made this traditional dessert a week early as I was feeling festive and couldn't wait to test out my brand new Staub ceramic casserole dish! It was so easy to clean up afterwards and I have to admit - the cute pan made for some pretty pictures!

If you're in the market for a good pan- ceramic is perfect since it cooks evenly like cast iron but is lighter and pretty enough to bring to the table.

Back to Baking

I'm not much of a baker since I like to experiment and don't measure much in the kitchen but this is the perfect dessert that any beginner can prepare.

If you're in charge of dessert for your holiday meal, I recommend giving this recipe a try. It's quick and easy, plus it leaves your home filled with the fragrance of holiday spices. Plus - you'll feel so Martha Stewart-y when you pull your bubbling dessert out of the oven.


If you're taking this dish with you to a holiday party or feast, make sure to pick up some french vanilla ice cream to serve along with it. My favourite brand is Breyer's for that old fashioned taste! Another great accompaniment is Caramel sauce - it's just such a perfect combination.

Apple Crisp

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Makes 8 servings


Ingredients:

Filling:
6 apples  (3 granny smith and 3 royal gala or honeycrisp) - peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 lemon- juiced
2 Tblsp sugar (I used organic cane sugar but white sugar is fine)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Topping:
1/2 cup cold butter
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup oats
3/4 cup brown sugar (1/2 cup if you don't want it too sweet)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

2) Combine the apples with lemon juice, white sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Mix to coat all the apples in the mixture

3) Grease a baking dish or line with parchment paper. Add the apple mixture to the pan.

4) Mix all the other ingredients in a bowl. Using a fork or potato masher, combine the butter with the oat mixture until the oats form little pieces (crumbs). Cover the apple filling with the oat topping and use a spoon to spread it evenly over all the apples.

5) Bake until the crisp is golden brown and the filling is bubbling on the sides of the pan.


Side note: I sprinkle a little more brown sugar on top towards the last few minutes so it caramelizes nicely on the apple crisp.

I love serving this dessert piping hot with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. For an added holiday touch, I added some caramel sauce too - so good!!

Hope you enjoy this recipe and if you try it at home, I'd love to know what you think!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A special thanks to my friends at Zwilling Canada and Staub for partnering on this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.