Apple crisp is such a delicious treat in the fall when apples are at their best. And, although you could try lots of different fruit combinations—like apple and mandarin orange or apple and rhubarb—there’s something about the raisins and cloves in this version that seems especially decadent to me.
Ingredients:
- Lots of your favourite variety of apple (1½ pounds or so)
- 6 tbsp of butter or margarine
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ cup raisins
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Chop the apples, and submerge pieces in a bowl of water with a bit of lemon juice to prevent browning. You can peel your apples if you like, but I prefer to leave the skin on.
- Combine the butter, sugar, 2/3 of a cup of the flour, oats, nuts, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ground cloves in a bowl, using your hands or a spoon, until you have a consistent, crumbly mixture.
- Grease a 9 x 9 oven-safe dish and put a layer of apples in the bottom. Scatter some raisins on top, then sprinkle a bit of the remaining flour. Place additional layers as described above into the dish and don’t be afraid to pile the dish high since the apples will reduce as they cook.
- Once you’ve fit as many apples as you can in your dish, pat the crisp mixture you prepared earlier on top until it is covered.
- Set the dish on a baking sheet to catch any drips, then bake for an hour or so until the juices from the apples are bubbling, the topping is golden, and your home smells divine.
- Enjoy!
