The Apples of my Eye

     In lieu of going to the UM vs BGSU game, Cory, my sister, Melissa, and I decided to go to a cider mill to get some hot cider, donuts and of course, apples. We went to the Alber Orchard in Manchester, MI, which has an orchard and a cider press that has been in service for over 100 years. The cider and donuts were very tasty, and they have a large variety of apples, including some heirloom types that are not commercially available. They have great names, like Roxbury Russet, Wolf River and Nonesuch, and I imagine they're delicious, although I didn't try any of them. I came home with a huge bag of Cortland apples, which are my favorite baking apples. 

Cory, Melissa and I at Alber apple orchard in Manchester

     This apple crisp recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe. I didn't make many changes, just added more cinnamon and didn't bother measuring out the exact amount of lemon. It's really quick and easy to throw together and it made my apartment smell amazing (about 20 minutes for prep, 1 hour to bake). Crisps like this are delicious, and also a little bit healthier than some desserts because they have oatmeal and fruit in them. Don't fool yourself, though, they're still made with sugar and butter and aren't exactly a health food. If you want a healthier version, try using whole wheat flour in the topping and a sugar substitute in the fruit mixture. As usual, I don't recommend replacing the butter- you can always taste the difference. This crisp is best served warm, by itself or with ice cream. It also tastes great cold with vanilla yogurt as a parfait.

Apple Crisp 

Topping:

-3/4 c all-purpose flour

-1/4 c packed light-brown sugar

-1/2 tsp salt

-1/2 c plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

-8 Tbs (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes

-1 c old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

Filling:

-3 lbs apples (about 7),  peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

-Juice of 1 lemon
-2 tsp ground cinnamon

-To make topping, mix brown sugar, 2 Tb sugar, flour and salt in a bowl.
-Add butter, using a pastry cutter or forks to mix and chop butter.
-Add the oats and use your hand to mix until the topping forms small clumps. Cover and place the mixture in the freezer while you prepare the apple filling.
-Preheat the oven to 375 F.
-Peel, core and cut the apples into bite-size pieces. Pour them into a bowl and add lemon, the remaining 1/2 of sugar and cinnamon. Mix well and pour into a 9x13 baking pan (or another dish of your choice).
-Sprinkle the topping over the apples and bake for 50-60 minutes. The top with be golden brown and the fruit juices will be bubbling. Allow to cool for 10 minutes prior to serving, although it smells delicious, it will be very hot!

Melissa going a little Twilight on the apple tree.