Apple Crisp

Autumn finally arrived last week with the October rains. And, to celebrate the change of seasons I decided to make an apple crisp. I have been playing around with the recipe off-and-on for a couple of years but I feel that I have finally gotten it right. 

Some apple varieties are better than others for baking. You want to find ones that will hold their shape and not inadvertently turn into apple sauce. I'm a big fan of Fuji apples for baking. But, for traditionalists, you can always use Granny Smiths. I did have the good fortune of making this latest version with an heirloom variety called Orleans Reinette and it was amazing. If you have access to heirloom apples either through a farmers market or your local grocery store or food co-op, I suggest giving them a try. You might be very pleasantly surprised.

I certainly hope you enjoy this recipe. Let me know.

APPLE CRISP

(adapted from The Joy of Cooking)

Prep: Approx. 25-30 minutes

Cook: Approx. 55 minutes

Equipment: 2-quart earthenware or glass baking dish, 2” deep.

TOPPING:

¾ cup of all-purpose flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

½ cup of  brown sugar, packed

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground powdered ginger

8 tablespoons (1 stick) of cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

FILLING:

8 medium apples, peeled, cored and diced (about 6 cups)

Juice of 1 orange

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground powdered ginger

¼ cup of granulated sugar

1 tablespoon of cornstarch

Preheat oven to 375°. Position rack in the lower third of the oven. Have an unbuttered 2-quart baking dish ready.

For the filling, place your apples in a large mixing bowl. Add the rest of the filling ingredients to the bowl and toss together. Then spread mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.

For the topping, combine all of the ingredients together into a mixing bowl. Then use a pastry blender, 2 knives or your fingers, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Scatter the topping evenly over the fillling.  Gently tap the topping down on top the filling.

Bake until the topping is golden brown and the juices are bubbling. Approximately 50 to 55 minutes.

When done remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Tips & Suggestions:

• Serve with either fresh whipped cream or ice cream. I think that ice cream is the best and vanilla is a reliable choice. But, if you can find it or want to make it yourself, this would be delicious with salted caramel ice cream.
• Make Ahead Tip:  Make the topping and filling ahead of time and store separately in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
• You can add ½ cup of coarsely chopped and toasted walnuts, hazelnuts or pecans to the topping.
• Can make individual crisps using oven-safe ramekins or other earthenware dishes. This takes this homey dessert and elevates it to something more sophisticated.

Mixed Berry Buckle

I love buckles. They are one of my favorite desserts. They are easy to make and work with a large variety of fruit, so that you can bake them all year around with what is in season. However, I do have a special place in my heart for the buckles that I bake in spring and summer with all of the delicious berries from my local farmer's market. 

If you are not familiar with buckles, they are a homey, old-fashioned dessert that is believed to have originated back in Colonial times. It is basically a cake with fruit baked into it and has a streusel top. They are great for dessert but they are also wonderful for brunch since they are very similar to a coffee cake.

Mixed Berry Buckle

(adapted from Williams-Sonoma Fruit Dessert cookbook)

Serves 8

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 oz. unsweetened apple sauce

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ cups mixed fresh berries (blueberry, raspberry, blackberry or any combo you like), rinsed

Ground cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

1. Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350˚ F. Coat a 9-inch round or 8-inch square cake pan with vegetable oil spray. Line the bottom with parchment (baking) paper and coat the paper with more spray.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, applesauce and sugar for about 5 minutes. Because of the applesauce, it will look curdled but it is okay. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and mix well. The batter will be thick.

3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Then poke the berries into the batter. In a small bowl combine ¼  teaspoon of cinnamon and 2 tablespooons of sugar, and sprinkle over the top.

4. Bake until the top is golden, the edges pull away from the sides of the pan and a skewer or cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 50-60 minutes.

5. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Once cool, run a knife around the edge in case the cooked fruit has stuck to the sides of the pan. Then place a large plate over the pan and invert the cake onto it. Remove the parchment paper, then place your serving plate on top and re-invert the cake onto it.  Serve with fresh whipped cream, if desired.

Notes and Variations:

You don’t need to use just mixed berries. You can make this will a lot of different fruits depending on what is in season. I have made this with blueberries (alone), plums, nectarines and pears. I have a friend who has made this with mango.

Get adventurous with adding a little flavor. I sometimes add cinnamon and nutmeg to the batter and not just on top. Also, cardamon is great with pears if you’re making this in the fall. Or add the zest from a lemon or orange.

The original recipe called for 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter. That much fat in a single-layer caked scared me so I have substituted 4oz of unsweetened applesauce for the second stick of butter. But, if you want it full-fat, go ahead and make the change back to the original.