Description
My Homestyle Spiced Apple Crisp, a dessert that feels like a warm hug. Tangy apples meet sweet brown sugar crumble for pure comfort.
Ingredients
- Filling Freshness:
- Apples (6-7 medium, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or a mix)
- Granulated Sugar (1/4 cup)
- All-Purpose Flour (2 tbsp, plus 1 cup for crumble)
- Lemon Juice (1 tbsp)
- Crumble Goodness:
- All-Purpose Flour (1 cup)
- Light Brown Sugar (1/2 cup, packed)
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats (1/2 cup)
- Cold Unsalted Butter (1/2 cup, cubed)
- Flavor Boosters:
- Ground Cinnamon (1.5 tsp, divided)
- Ground Nutmeg (1/4 tsp)
- Serving Magic:
- Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (optional)
Instructions
- Prep Your Apples:: First things first, get those apples ready! Peel, core, and slice them into about half-inch thick pieces. I usually aim for uniform slices so they cook evenly, but honestly, a few wonky ones just add to the rustic charm. Toss them into a large bowl with the granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Give it a good stir until everything is coated. You’ll see the apples start to glisten, and the smell of cinnamon will already be filling your kitchen – that’s when you know you’re on the right track!
- Make the Crumble Topping:: Now for the best part, the crumble! In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of flour, brown sugar, oats, and a pinch more cinnamon (because why not?). Add your cold, cubed butter. This is where you get your hands dirty! Use your fingertips or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces. Don’t overmix, or it’ll get tough, which I learned the hard way after a rather sad, brick-like crumble incident once.
- Assemble Your Crisp:: Grab your 8×8 inch baking dish. Pour the apple mixture evenly into the bottom. It might look like a lot of apples, but they’ll cook down, trust me. Then, sprinkle that gorgeous brown sugar crumble topping all over the apples. Try to get it even, but if some spots are a little thicker, that’s totally fine—it just means extra crunchy bits there! I usually press it down ever so slightly, just to make sure it’s snug.
- Bake to Golden Perfection:: Pop your assembled Homestyle Spiced Apple Crisp into a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C). Bake for about 40-45 minutes. You’re looking for the apples to be tender and bubbly, and that crumble topping should be beautifully golden brown and crispy. Sometimes I peek through the oven door and just watch it; the way the edges caramelize? Oh, it’s a sight! If the topping starts to get too dark too quickly, you can loosely tent it with foil.
- Check for Doneness:: To check if your Homestyle Spiced Apple Crisp is ready, gently insert a knife into the apple filling. If it slides in easily, the apples are tender. The filling should also be bubbling up around the edges of the dish. I’ve definitely underbaked it before, resulting in crunchy apples, and that’s just not the vibe we’re going for here. A little jiggle is okay, but it shouldn’t be sloshing around. Trust your instincts here!
- Rest and Serve:: Once it’s out of the oven, let your Homestyle Spiced Apple Crisp cool for at least 10-15 minutes. This lets the filling set up a bit, preventing a runny mess when you scoop it. The smells at this point are just heavenly – warm apples, cinnamon, sweet brown sugar. It’s pure comfort. Serve it warm, perhaps with a generous scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. That cold ice cream melting into the warm crisp? It’s a match made in dessert heaven, honestly.