Apple Crisp

I have little resistance against warm baked fruit topped with tasty crust. Crisp is just another name for crumble. So called because when you pull the dessert out of the oven, the top has now become all wonderfully crispy and crumbly. This crispy topping is similar to the killer Blueberry Oatmeal Crumbs except it's spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. The filling combines apple and berry (I chose frozen blueberry), a British favorite flavorful crisp. I like my Apple Crisp warm with a dollop of softly whipped cream. I tried a second serving with sour cream and it's just as good. The chunky walnuts, crispy crust, tarty apple/ blueberry all come together real nice and delicious with just the right amount of sweetness. I enjoyed having it with mint, too! Unless my memory has failed me, otherwise I'm thinking this is better than the Blueberry Oatmeal Crumbs.

Gate tried her hand on the Blueberry Oatmeal Crumbs but it somehow didn't turn out right. I figured it could be the oat she used. Hence, I like to share a few notes on oats. As with the Blueberry Oatmeal Crumbs, this Apple Crisp, too, uses old fashioned rolled oats. Oats are a cereal grain that is rich and flavorful and comes in many forms. Oats to be consumed by humans are cleaned, toasted, hulled to become what we call oat groats. The oat groats are then steamed and flattened to become rolled oats or old-fashioned oats. Old-fashioned rolled oats are not to be confused with quick-cooking rolled oats. These are oats cut into pieces before being steamed and rolled into thinner flakes. They cook quickly, about 5 minutes, but their flavor and texture are a little different than old-fashioned rolled oats. You should not use quick-cooking oats for this recipe, nor the Blueberry Oatmeal Crumbs.

You can choose to make this into individual ramekins, or a deep 8x8 baking dish as I did. Refrigerate leftover and reheat before serving again.

Ingredients:
(8 ramekins or one 8x8 deep baking dish)

Topping:

• 1/2 cup unbleached flour
  
• 1/2 cup natural cane sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons (84 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
  

Filling:

• 4 Granny Smith's, peeled and chopped into 1" chunks
• 1 cup frozen blueberry (optional)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons natural cane sugar

1. Preheat oven to 190C. Lightly grease a 8x8 deep baking dish. Set aside.
2. For Topping: Place all the topping ingredients (flour, sugars, spices, butter, oats and nuts) in a food processor and process until the mixture is crumbly (looks like coarse meal) and there are no large pieces of butter visible. Set aside while you prepare the filling.
3. For Filling: Place the apple chunks in a large bowl, along with the berries (if using) and lemon zest. Toss with the lemon juice and sugar. Transfer to your prepared baking dish.
   
4. Spread the topping evenly over the apples.
5. Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes or until bubbly, and the topping is golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes before serving.