Apple Crisp

While driving home from the airport the other day our good friends called and asked if we wanted to come over for some Apple Crisp. Marsha had just finished making homemade Apple Crisp and it was in the oven baking.

Hmmm, it is 4:30 in the afternoon - should we really go have warm Apple Crisp before dinner? Well, after about 30 seconds of thinking practically, we said YES we're on our way!!

When we arrived at James and Marsha's we could smell the delicious apple crisp. Marsha served it warm in delightful, little, glass bowls with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

WOW! It was so good. The best Apple Crisp ever!!

I bet you wish you had friends like ours!

If you would like to make this wonderful Apple Crisp the recipe came from

"The New Best Recipe," from the editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine.

Apple Crisp

Serves 4-6 (really 4)

Topping: 6 T flour, 1/4 c. light brown sugar, 1/4 c. granulated sugar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. salt, 5 T cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, 1/4 c. coarsley chopped nuts, such as almonds, pecans or walnuts

Filling: 3 medium Granny Smith apples, 3 medium McIntosh apples, ( apples should make 6 cups chopped) 1/2 tsp. grated zest and 1.5 T juice from 1 lemon, 1/4 c. sugar

For the topping:

Place the flour, sugars, spices, and salt in afood processor and process briefly to combine.

Add the butterand pulse 10 times, about 4 seconds for each pulse.

The mixturewill first look like dry sand, with large lumps of butter, then like coarse cornmeal. Add the nuts, then process again, four orfive 1-second pulses.

The topping should look like slightly clumpy wet sand.

Be sure not to overmix.

Refrigerate the topping while preparing the fruit--about 15 min.

Preheat over to 375.

For the flling:

Peel, quarter, and core the apples, then cut into 1-in chunks.

Toss the apples, zest, juice, and sugar in a medium bowl.

Scrape the fruit mixture into a 9 inch deep dish pieplate.

Distribute the chilled topping evenly over the fruit.

Bake for40 minutes. Increase the temperature to 400 and continue baking until the fruit is bubbling and the toping turns deep goldenbrown, about 5 more minutes. Serve warm.

My variations--Used 1/2 cups oats instead of nuts, since James doesn't like nuts.Used ALL the juice of one lemon, which made the dish very lemony, but different and interesting. I would do it that way again. Used 4 McIntosh apples and 2 Granny Smith, since that is what I had. Having two different kinds of apples is important though.

Thanks Marsha!