Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Favorite Apple Crisp

I have to laugh at myself. With all the fresh, sweet, luscious berries now available, what do I want? Apple crisp. Apple season is still months away and the apples I purchased were rather sad, but that didn't stop me from wanting to make one of my all time favorite desserts. Gosh, I love apple crisp. I have an unreasonable addiction to this brown sugar, oatmeal, and apple concoction.

The first time I had this, I was in elementary school; the lunch ladies served (what I felt were) stingy portions in little beige-speckled melamine bowls. I would trade my 35-cent hot lunch for someone else's apple crisp. My love affair with this sweet dessert has not waned.

I still don't make apple crisp as good as the school lunch ladies, but so far this is my favorite recipe. Maybe I need to wear a hair net.


Apple Crisp

3/4 cup quick oatmeal
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (or margarine), plus a little additional for greasing the baking dish
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4-6 apples (Macintosh are terrific if you have them)

Butter an 8 x 8 inch (or 9 x 9 inch) baking dish.

Peel and slice apples as you would for an apple pie.

Combine the other ingredients, but leave the mixture crumbly. Sprinkle over the apples.

Bake at 350F for about 35 minutes or until a knife easily pierces the cooked apple. Can be served hot with ice cream. Equally delicious cold.

I was talking with a friend of mine about the school cafeteria apple crisp and she gave me a great tip. She said she used to be a lunch lady, and at the school where she worked, they used canned apple pie filling (received from government surplus and provided to schools in support of the hot lunch program). And all this time I thought the lunch ladies were out back peeling all those apples!

32 comments:

  1. This looks so much better than any apple crisp from a lunch lady! It is one of my favorites, too, the crispy, oaty topping - yum!!!

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  2. I love crisps! Now I'm hungry for an apple crisp!

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  3. I love apple crisp too! I have an amazing recipe I found on allrecipes. A few months ago I had to make enough to serve 150 people at a meal kitchen. After making over 10 pans of it I haven't made it since! You have inspired me to make it again :)

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  4. Oh my gosh, what a blast from the past -- the beige melamine bowls! There were green ones too. I made a peach crisp recently but was not impressed. I will have to try your recipe.

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  5. Apple crisp is one of my favorites too! I can eat the whole 8X8 in less than a day if no one is watching. Brown sugar is the best! Yummy!

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  6. I love apple crisp! And savor it - yours looks wonderful - and when you are in the mood for something - go for it!

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  7. Oh....I so love apple anything...crisp especially. Yum. You make me laugh...sad apples. Mine look like those little characters they make out of dried apples...mine are so sad on my hot kitchen counter!

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  8. This looks really good. Some times there's nothing that can satisfy like one of the old desserts.

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  9. Oh wow new to me....looks crunchy and yum

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  10. Love apple crisp! Looks delicious Katy....I always have lots of apples here in the fall and will have to keep this recipe.

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  11. yumm love apple crisp.. you have got a lovely blog.. thanx for the round up of yummy recipes..
    cheers!

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  12. I've always loved apple crisp, too...but I don't remember ever getting it at school. :( Grandma always made it!

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  13. Apple crisp is the best! I had lost my recipe - thanks for sharing yours! I will have to give it a try!

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  14. There's nothing quite like apple crisp! I especially love it warm with french vanilla ice cream :) You're making me so hungry!!!! I am adding apples to my shopping list and will be making this pronto!

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  15. It looks wonderful! I think you are doing just fine without that hairnet. :0)

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  16. You are so funny! Now I have you pictured in a hairnet, a peasant skirt and clogs. Apple crisp is one of my favorites too.

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  17. I always find myself making appley desserts, even when it isn't apple picking, but I must say this has me looking forward to going apple picking again this fall!

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  18. Apple Crisp looks so good right about now here in NY, we've had very cool temps and I wouldn't mind having the oven on.

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  19. This is absolutely lovely! We've had some chilly weather around here so this would be the perfect dessert, comfort in a bowl!

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  20. I love apple crisp, sounds scrumptious!

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  21. BWAHAHAH on the hair net! :))

    This looks delicious, Katy.

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  22. I am with you..apple crisp is good anytime of the year. I too sometimes crave a dish made from fruit out of season..

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  23. Hey Linda stole my line! ;)

    I giggled out loud truly! And YUMMY!

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  24. This looks so delicious Katy. Your photo is perfect too!

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  25. What a great blog! Those lunch ladies really knew how to cook back in the day. Great story and wonderful recipe. My Mom used to make it with applie pie filling too.

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  26. So perfect I don't care what time of year it is always apple time. Your chocolate cake looks like a magazine I love making seven minute icing. My favorite.

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  27. I love the story behind this! Isn't it funny how we all have such strong memories associated with different foods? Yours looks fabulous! My little one loves apples, but I have yet to make this for him. Thanks for the idea!

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  28. OOOH I have to say I love a good Apple Crisp over some French Vanilla Ice Cream in the Fall, with Freshly picked apples!! YUM, TY for posting this one!

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  29. Well here's to the stingy cafeteria ladies! :) Now you can have your apple crisp and EAT it too!! I love a good apple crisp. My grandmother often put peanut butter in her apple crisp topping. Ever tried that? I don't think I've seen a recipe for it, but I still remember how much I loved it. I'm a peanut butter fan, though.

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  30. Apple or cherry crisp was the ONE DESSERT I used to love to eat from the school cafeteria. I loved all that crunch topping. Can you believe I haven't made a crisp in YEARS?!

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