Apple Crisp

Servings: 6
Preheat: 350°
Apple crisp and vanilla ice cream make the perfect autumn dessert. You can make individual crisps by dividing the filling and topping among six ramekins or individual gratin dishes. My favorite apples for baking are big, boxy Sierra Beauties, but Gravenstein, Cortland, Golden Delicious, and other sweet-tart apples are also good for baking.

Serves six.

Ingredients
For the filling:
2-½ lb apples (ab 6 medium), peeled, quartered, cored, and sliced to yield about 6 cups
2 to 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp all purpose flour
For the crisp topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
½ cup finely chopped nuts (I like pecans)
4 oz (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cut into sm pieces and chilled

Directions
Heat the oven to 350°F.

To make the filling: In a 9-inch pie pan that’s 2 inches deep (or a similar baking pan), toss the apples with the sugar to taste, cinnamon, and flour.

To make the topping: In a medium bowl, mix together all the topping ingredients with your fingers or a pastry cutter until small pebbly pieces of butter are distributed throughout the mixture. Sprinkle the entire mixture over the apples. Bake until the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling and tender, about 1 hour and 15 min. for a large crisp and 1 hour for individual crisps. Cool slightly before serving.

From Fine Cooking 41, pp. 80 October 1, 2001