First of all, do not be fooled by the picture. Second, those who know me well know what my hands-down favorite fruit is and can likely name the particular type. They know I eat this fruit regularly. Just about everyday, actually. And they know that this behavior has been going on since I was a young child.
Hint: It's PLU is 4152 (I know...TMI). Stumped still? Another hint: It's not the lovely Granny Smith apple like the ones above. Give up? It's the mouth-watering MacIntosh apple!
The MacIntosh is a crisp and juicy fruit that, in my opinion, is best when eaten raw, but I know that it features well in desserts, applesauce, or even juice. The appealing red and green coloring of the skin is what is most beautiful about these round apples. No two have the same shading, unlike the equally crisp and tasty all-green Granny Smith. The tart flavor is what has kept me a repeat eater.
Doing the math, there are 365 days/year, right? Using estimation (yep, a great skill in life), that works out to about 30 dozen days, right? I am sure that I consume about 20+ dozen apples a year, given that sometimes vacations, lunches out, travel, etc. intervene to change up my schedule. Now I've never let on about my age (thanks for keeping quiet those of you who know me), but if I'm eating 20 dozen apples a year, and have been for decades, well... your turn to use your estimation powers... heck, that's a lot of apples! I am nothing if not loyal. This is my apple for all time.
In my opinion, this winter's polar vortexes (vortices?) and their soul mates (snow, ice, cold) impacted the quantity and quality of many fruits. When I shopped for MacIntoshes for this Crisp, I was not happy with the bruised, we've-seen-better-days-look written all over them in the produce section of my grocery store. However, the Granny Smiths looked awesome (this I do not understand). So, my first modification to this recipe was to change out the Macs for the Grannys.
Other than that, feel free to cut this recipe in half. What I prepared makes enough to fill a 9 x 13 pan, but you could cut everything in half and use an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 square pan. You could cut the topping in half if you are not into lots of sweet and crispy (you're not???) and sprinkle the lesser amount on the full apple filling.
One more tidbit: The crisp is delish while still warm and is more easily spooned into bowls than cut. But if refrigerated overnight, the chilled crisp will cut easily into squares. I know you're wondering when I'm going to mention the supporting roles of cinnamon ice cream and whipped cream. Go ahead! Play around with this. You know what you like :)
Apple Crisp for a Crowd (or not)
Yield: Easily 6-8 people with leftovers
Filling:
8 Granny Smith apples
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Topping:
1 cup butter, cubed
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
Directions:
1. To prepare the filling, core and skin the apples.
2. Slice the apples into wedges, about 12 or so per apple.
3. Place the apples slices into a large bowl.
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
5. Add the brown sugar and toss the apples with two spoons, distributing the sugar and cinnamon evenly.
6. The sugar will dissolve and the apples will have a wet look.
7. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Mine was glass.
8. Place the filling into the pan and spread evenly.
9. To prepare the topping, place the cubed butter, brown sugar, and flour into the same bowl used for the filling.
10. Using both hands, rub the butter into the flour and sugar. Mix until the ingredients resemble small pebbles.
11. Spread the topping evenly onto the apple filling.
12. Bake at 375º, covered with foil, for 70 minutes or until the topping is golden and the apples are soft. When you stick a toothpick or fork into the filling, the apples should give easily.
13. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
14. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
