Happy Thanksgiving!

As you’re reading this, it’s Thanksgiving morning.

1 am to be exact.

And I’m wide awake because I think I’ve failed at making the cranberry Jell-O this year.

Why in the world can I make a baked Alaska, but I can’t get Jell-O to gel?  Jell-O soup, anyone?

Or rice krispy treats.  I can not make those, either.

My daughter is seriously going to have a deprived childhood.

On the bright side?  She gets to eat dishes like these crunchwrap supremes, this jalapeno sausage & corn pizza, and this apple crisp.  And who’s going to turn their nose up at some apple crisp?

Crisps are probably my favorite type of dessert to make.  Occasionally, I’ll even cut way down on the sugar content so that I justify eating it for breakfast like this anytime berry crisp I shared a couple of years ago.

Don’t judge, it’s becoming increasingly acceptable to eat dessert-like items for breakfast.  I mean, have you seen my pancake line-up lately?

I didn’t cut out the sugar on this recipe, though.  This is definitely a dessert-style crisp.  One that is filled with a mixture of sweet and tart apples, seasoned with cinnamon and a touch of vanilla, making it a perfect dessert for a cool autumn evening.

Top it with some vanilla bean ice cream and homemade caramel sauce, and you’ve just figured out what dreams are made of.

At least my dreams.

Apple Crisp

serves 6

topping:

• 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. old fashioned oats
• 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/3 c. unsalted butter, diced

filling:

• 2.5 lbs. apples (I used a variety of Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Gala) peeled, cored, and sliced thin (about 1/8 inch)
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp. water
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 c. light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  I used my 10-inch cast iron, but you can prepare an 8×8 inch baking dish by coating with butter and then setting aside.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Mix together until well-combined.

Add the diced butter, and using a pastry cutter or clean fingers, cut the butter into the dry mixture until small crumbles appear.  Place the bowl in the refrigerator while you prepare the apple filling.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, flour, water, lemon juice, and vanilla until blended well.  Then stir in the 1/4 c. of brown sugar, the cinnamon, and the pinch of salt.

Place the sliced apples into a large bowl.  Pour the butter mixture over the apples, and toss until evenly combined (you can use a spatula if your tossing skills need perfecting).  Pour the apple mixture into your prepared dish and spread into an even layer.  Remove topping from the refrigerator and sprinkle evenly over the top of the apples.

Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown and the apples pierce easily with a fork (about 35 minute).  Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly (about 10 minutes) before serving warm with ice cream and caramel sauce.

 

 

 

 

Also – that last photo.  Ugh.  The results of it getting dark at 4 pm.