Apple Crisp

Apple Crisp


There is a great variety of apples to cook with these days including, Granny Smith, Fuji, Jonathan, McIntosh.  For this apple crisp recipe we prefer McIntosh apples for their sweetness but it is delicious with other apples as well.

When making this recipe over the years we have discovered a particular fondness for using Mount Gay Rum, a light dark rum that adds richness but again as with the apples feel free to use your favorite.

The same is true for pan size.  We have tried many and have landed on a few favorites for the Apple Crisp, the first is a wider, longer dish, a 10 x 6 x 2 inch or 12 1/2 inch square Le Creuset baking pan and the other a round 8 x 3 souffle pan.  The wider and longer baking pans create more space for the topping to spread out and the souffle baking dish allows for a thicker top crust.  We like both styles and so we recommend trying both to see which is your favorite way to make apple crisp.  When using the souffle pan we add one additional cup of apple to the recipe below to fill the baking dish. 

Note:  One apple peeled, cored and sliced is approximately one cup.  Add more if you wish depending on the size of the pan used.


Serves 8

 4 cups to 5 cups (depending on pan size) of McIntosh Apples
 1 cup sugar
 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus a tablespoon to butter the pan
 3/4 cup flour
 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon rum
 1 teaspoon cinnamon
 1 teaspoon nutmeg
 1/2 teaspoon salt

Bring the butter to room temperature. 
In a medium bowl combine the flour, sugar and butter with a pastry cutter until it has a consistency slightly larger than corn meal, allowing for some small chunks to remain and set aside.
 

Butter the baking dish on the bottom and sides and set aside.   Peel, core and slice the apples and place in the buttered pan. 

Sprinkle the apples with the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

Pour in the rum and then sprinkle the flour, sugar and butter mixture over the top of the apples.

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes and remove.  Set the oven on broil and broil for a few minutes until the top is golden brown.
 
 

Serve either warm from the oven or at room temperature. 

Additional options for serving, add ice cream or whipped cream to the side if so desired.


Bon Appetit

Printable Recipe


Favorite Tools for Making Apple Crisp 

Roasted Red Pepper & Eggplant Soup

Roasted Red Pepper and Eggplant Soup

This is a fabulous soup and easy to make with wonderful rich and exotic flavors.  Delicious hot or cold. 
Roasting peppers enhances the flavor of the pepper and is extremely easy to do.  For this recipe we are roasting red peppers but you can roast almost any kind of pepper to enhance the flavors. 

Take care when roasting hot peppers as the oil and juices from those peppers may cause skin irritation. It is best to wear gloves and use tongs when roasting any kind of hot pepper such as a jalapeno pepper.

Roasted red peppers are a delight on their own or may be added to sandwiches, omelets or many of your favorite dishes.  You may also store roasted red peppers in the refrigerator, covered in oil to add to your other favorites.

Serves 6 to 8


5 red peppers
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium eggplant-cut into bite size pieces
1 large onion-chopped
2 carrots-peeled and sliced
6 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
sour cream-optional

Roast red peppers over your gas burner on high heat, on the grill or in the oven under the broiler on a sheet pan until blackened.  If you roast the peppers on a gas burner place the pepper directly on the burner to char.  Using tongs, continue to rotate the pepper as each side blackens.


To assist the peeling of the blackened red peppers, place in a plastic bag for 10 minutes.

Remove from the plastic bag and peel under running cold water and the peppers will peel easily.

Once the skin is removed, slice the peppers into slim slices and remove the seeds and stem.

Melt the butter in a large soup pot and saute the onion, carrots, and eggplant until they are
softened, 10-15 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer 15 minutes.
Add the red pepper slices and simmer an additional 15 minutes. Add seasoning.
Puree the soup in either a blender or food processor.  An immersion blender is also an easy way to puree many of your soup recipes and makes clean-up a breeze.

 Top with a dollop of Sour cream.

This Soup can be served either hot or cold

Bon Appetit

Printable Recipe

Recommended Wine to Serve: Zinfandel, red or white

Favorite Tools for Making Roasted Red Pepper & Eggplant Soup