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Apple Crisp

A New England classic made in proper New England style.  This one is an inherited recipe: I used to help my mom make huge pans of it for church dinners and special events.

If your crisp topping doesn't contain oats, it's wrong.  Sorry, I don't make the rules.

Ingredients:
  •  4-6 apples, depending on size
  • cinnamon and nutmeg to taste (at least 2 tsp cinnamon and 1 of nutmeg)
  • 1 cup oats
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 5 T butter (or butter alternative)
  • 1/2 c flour
The Process:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel the apples and cut into fairly thin slices.  Lay these out in a lightly greased pan.  (We recommend a 9x9: see the Pro Tips, below.)

In a mixing bowl, combine oats, sugar, flour, and spices.  (The recipe includes what I consider the low end of the spices.)

Add butter and combine using two butter knives OR a pastry cutter.  Or your fingers.  You want the topping to come together in crumbly pieces, but it won't form a dough. 

Spread topping over the apples.  It might be helpful to press it down gently, so it forms something like a crust.  Some apple should be visible peeking out.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the apples are soft and the topping is firm. 

Enjoy either hot or cold.  Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream optional.

Pro Tips:

You can double, triple, or halve this really easily.

We like lots of fruit in our crisp.  When my mom makes it, she spreads the apple out in a single layer on a shallow pan.  We've gone to the nine-by-nine pan so we get more lovely fall apple per bite.

Another modification: I have removed a step which calls for lightly tossing the apple slices in sugar and cinnamon.  I don't think they need it.  If you have incredibly tart apples, though, you may wish to do this.


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