Apple crisp

The best and most-delicious fall dessert 

Last month I made a peach crisp where the topping melted together and wasn't crumbly at all. Though the flavor was wonderful, I wished the topping had held its shape and texture. Well leave it to Ina Garten to pull through with a fabulous, crispy-crumbly recipe for old fashioned apple crisp! This one is such a winner, I'm done searching for apple crisp recipes for the foreseeable future. 

One thing to note: The original recipe calls for orange juice and zest. Just skip it. Almost all of the comments on the original recipe say the orange is overpowering. I skipped it and was thrilled with the results. Get to peelin' and bakin'! 

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APPLE CRISP

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

FRUIT FILLING

5 pounds McIntosh apples 

Grated zest of 1 lemon

2 TBS fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

CRUMBLE TOPPING

1 and 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup oats (old fashioned rolled)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

WHAT YOU'LL DO

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 by 14-inch baking dish, or two smaller square or rectangular pans.

2. For the fruit filling: Peel apples, core, and slice into large wedges. Toss apples with lemon zest and juice, sugar, and spices. Pour into the dish(es). 

3. For the crumble topping: In a large bowl, combine flour, sugars, salt, oats, and cold butter. Use an electric mixer to blend until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas (this can take a little while if the butter is good and cold — be patient!). Scatter the crumble topping evenly over the fruit filling. 

4. Place the crisp on a sheet pan (if you're using a more shallow dish, this is to catch any filling that might bubble over). Bake for 1 hour, or until the top is browned and the apples are bubbly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

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I made two smaller dishes of this — one we ate immediately and the other I saved for the next night, reheating it in a low oven (200–300 degrees or thereabouts) for about 20 minutes. The crisp is best served with good vanilla ice cream. I actually tried it the first time with Purple Door's salted caramel ice cream (the best ice cream, full stop!) — but the flavors didn't meld perfectly. Vanilla really is where it's at when it comes to apple crisp!