Tomorrow is the meteorological arrival of autumn although we are in the midst of a record high heat wave. With temperatures in the 90s my plan to spend a day apple picking has temporarily been put on hold. Instead of handpicking apples off of the fruit laden trees in the apple orchard in order to create intoxicating aromas coming out of the kitchen, I had to settle for picking them out of the bins at the Farmer's Market. Yes, the effect was still the same. My grandiose plan of making my first apple crisp of the fall season using hand picked by me apples went belly up. Waiting another week until the fall weather arrived to make a romanticized version of an 'orchard to table' apple crisp was certainly an option. But when one (that one being me) gets a serious craving for something and there is a new recipe one (me again) can't wait to try, a week can seem like an eternity. Waiting has never been high on my list of virtues.
Two years ago I went on endlessly extolling the virtues of the Brown Butter Caramelized Apple Crisp and then four years ago I sang the praises of Shirley's Apple Crisp,. And now I am about to get on another soapbox and tell you about my newest favorite. This Apple Crisp isn't necessary better than the other two, it's different. An incredibly, mouthwatering, delicious, good different. And I am a fan of different.
Depending on your definition of an apple crisp you might think I am passing off a crumble as a crisp. If crisp and crumble (words often used interchangeably) were merged, there might such things as 'crimbles' or 'crusps'. But until such time either of these variations goes mainstream, I am going to stay with calling this a crisp even though oatmeal isn't one of the ingredients. And here's why.
According to Serious Eats, 'crisp and crumble are regional names often used interchangeably to name a crumb-topped baked fruit dish.' In other words, what you call it may depend on where you grew up. Generally, a crisp is a deep dish fruit dessert topped with 'a streusel made of butter, sugar, flour, nuts, oats and/or crumbs'. Crumbles, like a crisp and even a cobbler, have a bottom layer of fruit and a top crumb layer. The crumb layer in crumbles are generally made with butter, flour, sugar, sometimes nuts and always oats. The most significance difference between the crumble and crisp is the texture of the topping. Crumbles are clumpier and crisps are crispier. The cookie-like extra crispy topping of this Apple Crisp gives it its' 'crisp worthy' name.
I never told you to use more than one type of apple when making the other crisp recipes posted to the blog. My bad. It took making this Apple Crisp with two different kinds of apples for me to see the error of my ways.
I went with using three pounds of a combination of Honey Crisp and Granny Smith apples as I prefer the taste of sweet-tart apples. Both of these apples fall into that category, although their baked textures differs slightly. Honey Crisp being a little on the softer side and Granny Smith being on the little firmer side is what gives this baked crisp the best of both apple texture worlds. (See note below for other apple options.)
When using fresh apples, you can leave some of the skin on the apple slices. Or you can peel them so no trace of skin remains. If you choose to have a little bit of skin remain on your cut apples, make sure the skin isn't tough (which might happen with apples kept in the refrigerator for a long time).
You can either core your apples before cutting them or cut around the core before slicing. Either way works. Cut your apples in slightly different thicknesses ranging from a generous 1/4" to a generous 3/8". For apples having a softer texture, cut them a little thicker (3/8") and for apples having a firmer texture, cut them in either or both of the aforementioned thicknesses.
Sugar, salt, freshly squeezed lemon juice and the zest of a lemon are mixed together and poured over the sliced apples. After the apples are poured into your baking pan, mix in a sprinkling of cinnamon.
Unsalted butter, sugar, all-purpose flour, cinnamon and salt make up the topping. That's it. Just five ingredients.
The dough can be mixed in a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or with a handheld mixer. Once mixed it will have a texture similar to a cookie dough. To make the assembly of the crisp easier, I rolled the dough into a log, chilled it for an hour, and then cut in slices to top the apples. See note below for alternative way of topping the apples with the dough.
The slices of dough are layered over the apples. Leave a few gaps so the steam from the baking apples can escape during baking.
I topped this Apple Crisp with some White Sparkling Sugar. You could also top with either Sanding Sugar or Turbinado Sugar. Or you can leave the added sugar topping off altogether.
The original recipe recommended a baking time of 90 minutes in a 350 degree (F) preheated oven. My baking time was somewhere between 60 and 65 minutes.
Allow the baked Apple Crisp to cool slightly if serving warm.
What makes this Apple Crisp so endearing are its' flavors and textures. From the crunchy cinnamon cookie like topping to the caramelized apples, this crisp was beyond delicious even before a scoop of vanilla ice cream was added. It definitely ranks as one of the most satisfying comfort food desserts. It's one worthy of being served either after a causal or fancy dinner.
There are so many desserts to welcome the fall season. But none may be better at embracing the change in seasons than a rustic, soul satisfying Apple Crisp. Especially this one. Start making this crisp NOW, put into your baking rotation throughout the winter, give it a rest in the spring, and then let it make a repeat appearance or two in the summer. What I am trying to say is that THIS Apple Crisp could become habit forming.
Apple Crisp (a very slight change to Tartine's Apple Crisp recipe)
Updated September 30, 2019)
Ingredients
3 - 3 1/2 pounds of 2-4 varieties of apples (Honey Crisp and Granny Smith were used in this version)
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
very generous pinch of ground cinnamon
1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar (or 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup light or dark brown sugar)
1 1/4 cups (170g) all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Sanding, Sparkling or Turbinado sugar for finishing
Vanilla Ice Cream
Directions
1. Place butter and sugar in a medium-large sized bowl. Using a hand mixer or standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment beat until smooth.
2. Add the flour, cinnamon, and kosher salt. Mix until mixture comes together in a smooth dough.
3. Flip the bowl over onto a long piece of plastic wrap. Using the plastic wrap, shape the dough into a log (about 12 inches long). Wrap tightly and chill in the refrigerator for one hour.
4. Peel (some or all) of the apples. Core or cut around core. Cut into slices of various thicknesses (e.g., ranging from a generous 1/4" to a generous 3/8") and place into a large bowl.
5. In a small bowl, sir together the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt. Add to apples. Toss together with a wooden spoon or with your hands.
6. Transfer the apples to a 9"x12" baking dish and shake until they are in an even layer. (Optional: Lightly butter pan before adding the apples.)
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
8. Remove roll of dough from the refrigerator. Cut into 1/4" slices and arrange to cover the top of the apples. Note: Leave some small gaps in the dough rounds to allow the steam to escape during baking.
9. Sprinkles with sanding, sparkling or turbinado sugar if using.
10. Place pan in the center of the oven and bake for 60-65 minutes or until apples are tender and top is golden brown.
11. Let cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with or without vanilla ice cream.
12. The crisp will keep for up to a week if covered and stored in the refrigerator.
Notes: (1) Can use only variety of apple, but using at least two varieties (and up to 4) creates an apple crisp with a deeper flavor. Apple options include: Granny Smith, Greening, Gravenstein, Winesap, Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady and Honey Crisp. (2) Instead of forming the dough into the log and chilling, scoop up the dough into palm-sized balls, flatten each scoop to 1/4" thick as if you are making a tortilla and lay on top of the apples. (3) The thickness of the cut apple will affect baking time. Thicker cut apples may have a slightly longer baking time. However, if apples are cut too thin, their may dissolve into an applesauce like consistency.
Fall apples at the Farmer's Market (September 2017)
