Like it or not, fall is right around the corner.
Although I may be in a state of denial, I tried to start embracing it this Labor Day weekend. We went apple picking at Curtis Orchard and Pumpkin Patch in Champaign. My mom has apple trees that mass produce at an alarming rate, but other than that I will be the first to admit this is a little out of my wheelhouse. Eating apples. Cooking with apples. Basically anything apple.
First of all, who knew there were so many apples?! Turns out, there are over 2,500 apples grown throughout the United States, and 100 varieties grown commercially. The apples ready to be picked were Honeycrisp, Jonathan, and Ginger Gold. This, of course, meant nothing to me. So, after carefully scouring Pinterest, I learned that the taste buds led us in the right direction! We opted to stock up on the sweet, Honeycrisp apples, which are perfect for cooking and baking.
This only leads me to my next dilemma. Just what am I going to make with all these precious little apples? Well, let’s find out…
My first recipe is warm, delicious apple crisp. This is another boyfriend-approved dish worthy of our next holiday function. Of course, next time I’m investing in an apple corer and peeler.
- 5 large honeycrisp apples, peeled and sliced
- 4 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 4 Tablespoons flour
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 Tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ Teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup flour
- 1½ cups old fashioned oatmeal
- 1½ cups brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Spray an 8×9″ baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Place the melted butter in a large bowl. Whisk in the flour, lemon juice, heavy cream, and vanilla until smooth. Add the sugar and seasonings. Whisk until smooth. Then, add the apples and gently fold to coat entirely.
- Arrange the apples in the bottom of a baking dish and set aside. (I’ll usually layer them neatly.)
- In a large bowl, add the flour, seasonings, and oatmeal. Stir everything together until incorporated.
- Add the small cubes of butter to the mix. As the butter begins to be incorporated into the mixture, you can use your hands to mix everything together. Once everything is mixed well, top the apples and bake for 18-20 minutes (or until lightly golden in color).