Is it fall yet? Apple Crisp.

I wore a sweater today. I realize it was a bit premature, as it’s still 80 degrees outside, but my crazy longing for fall made me do it.



You see, I really, really love fall. I love the cool, crisp air. The bright orange, red and yellow leaves. The smell of bon fires in folks backyards. So towards the end of August I always go a little crazy. Wearing scarves, sweaters, the occasional pair of boots.



My bout of crazy was only furthered by finding the first apples of the season at the farmers market yesterday. As soon as I tried one, I was smitten, they were delicious. I had to have some.



Apple crisp might be my favorite dessert ever. It contains all of my favorite things: apples, cinnamon, oats, brown sugar and butter. And this one might be the best I’ve ever had. (but that could be the crazy talking.) I used a mix of gala and jonathan in this and it came out perfectly. It’s a little bit of fall in every bite.



Apple Crisp
Adapted from here.

bake in an 8×8 baking dish or double the recipe and bake in a 9×13 dish

Filling:

5 to 6 medium-size apples , peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices. (About 7.5 cups)

6 tbsp granulated sugar

2 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Topping:

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups lightly packed brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 stick unsalted butter, well-softened

1/3 heaping cup quick oats

Preheat the oven to 350. Generously grease an 8×8 baking pan with butter.
Place a layer of apple slices in the bottom of the pan and dust with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Continue layering apples and dusting with cinnamon/sugar until done. The apples should be just about to the top of the pan (they will cook down).

For the topping, place the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and oats in a large bowl and stir well with a wooden spoon. Work the butter into the mixture with your fingertips until evenly distributed. It will be sort of dough-like. Spread the topping evenly over the apples.

Bake the crisp in the dish on a baking sheet on the center oven rack until the topping is crunchy and the apples are bubbling, 55-60 minutes.
Serve hot.