This is my favorite apple crisp recipe.  I got it from the America's Test Kitchen, one of my most used cook books. My mother-in-law gave it to me the Christmas Tim and I were engaged and now I recommend it to every newly married bride....and not so newly married bride.


Yesterday was the perfect day to make this dessert.  We had some family coming over for dinner, and the weather screamed Autumn.  I made the crisp while the kids and our neighbor ran around the backyard, it was very idyllic.


ATK's recipe is for a "fruit crisp" and gives variations for different fruit.  For apple crisp it's best to use a combination of Granny Smith and McIntosh apple: sweet and sour..mmm.

Apple Crisp

INGREDIENTS

Topping Mixture

• 6tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4cup light brown sugar , packed
• 1/4cup granulated sugar
• 1/4teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4teaspoon table salt
• 5tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
• 3/4cup pecans or whole almonds, chopped coarse (or chopped fine if mixing topping by hand)

Fruit

• 2 1/2 - 3pounds apples , nectarines, peaches, pears or plums (6 cups cut)
• 1/4cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2teaspoon grated lemon zest from 1 lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. For the Topping: Place flour, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in food processor workbowl fitted with steel blade. Add chilled butter and pulse until mixture moves from dry sand-like appearance with large lumps of butter to a coarse cornmeal texture, about three 4-second bursts. Add nuts and pulse until mixture resembles crumbly sand, about five 1-second bursts. Do not overprocess or mixture will take on a smooth, cookie-dough-like texture. (To mix by hand, allow butter pieces to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in medium bowl. Add butter; toss to coat. Pinch butter chunks and dry mixture between fingertips until mixture looks like crumbly wet sand. Add nuts and toss to distribute evenly. Do not overmix.) Refrigerate mixture while preparing fruit, at least 15 minutes.
• 2. Toss cut fruit, sugar, lemon juice, and zest  in medium bowl. (My Note: I toss the apple's in a Tablespoon of cinnamon at this point too)
• 3. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Scrape fruit mixture with rubber spatula into 8-inch square (2 quart) baking pan or 9-inch round deep dish pie plate. Distribute chilled topping evenly over fruit; bake for 40 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees; bake until fruit is bubbling and topping is deep golden brown, about 5 minutes longer. Serve warm or at room temperature.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  The apple thieves...I had to peel even more apples to keep up with their demands.