Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Apple Crisp Recipe; A Family Dessert Everyone Will Love

By Ben Cook

An apple dessert made from apples and has a delicious crunchy crust on top is called apple crisp in the United States. It is called by the name apple crumble in Britian and both use apples, butter, brown sugar or granulated sugar, flour or oatmeal, cinnamon, and other spices to make a delectable apple crisp recipe. This is a type of peasant dish only being presented to families and never served during the holiday or when guests come to call.

Sometimes apple crisp is mistaken for a few other desserts using apple. An apple pudding that is made by layers of apples and sweetened crumbs of bread or saltines with a sauce is called Apple Brown Betty. Another dessert that is similar is Apple cobbler, also called apple grunt, slump or pandowdy that places biscuit dough over the apples and baked.

Fannie Farmer's Cook book that appeared in'96 was the first to publish the recipe. It was being presented on tables long before that. It is always made during the autumn of the year because that is the time when the apple crop is harvested. You can also make it with canned apples to bring that flavor to the table any time. Several variations may include fruits that are in season at the time you make it such as different berries or peaches.

Certain apples are needed to make apple crisp. These apples are firm so that they won't become mushy during the cooking process and they are also very tart. The types of apples that are great for making apple crisp are Northern Spye, Winesap, Granny Smith, McIntosh and Jonathan apples.

To make an easy apple crisp core, peel and slice six large apples and place them in the bottom of a greased nine inch square baking pan. In a bowl combine three fourths cupful of oatmeal, one half cup of packed brown sugar, one half cup all purpose flour, one half teaspoon of cinnamon, and six tablespoons of softened butter. You will need to use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter in like pie crust until it resembles a fine meal. Take the topping and spread over top of the apples and bake in a 350 degree F oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until the top gets brown. Cool for about 10 minutes then cut it into squares and serve it while it is still warm with some vanilla ice cream. If you prefer whipped cream, use that instead.

Another version adds some cheese to the ingredients. A traditional dish is apple pie and a slice of Cheddar cheese and this recipe is based upon that tradition. You will need 6 apples that have been cored, peeled and sliced; one third teaspoon of cinnamon, six teaspoons apple juice, one half stick of butter, three fourths cup sugar, one teaspoon lemon juice, one eight teaspoon salt, one half cup flour, and one fourth pound grated Cheddar cheese. Again the apples should be sliced and placed in a nine inch square baking dish. The cinnamon should be sprinkled over top and then the apple juice and lemon juice added. In a bowl the butter should be at room temperature and be cut into the flour with a pastry cutter or fork. The sugar and salt are added next and then the shredded cheese. The mixture should be crumbly and is placed over the apple mixture. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for about 40 minutes until it is bubbling and crust is crisp. Let this version cool a little but serve warm and you can serve with ice cream.

Near the end of summer you might not be able to find many apples yet, but there is sure to be a large quantity of zucchini in your garden and in the stores. Believe it or not you can make apple crisp with zucchini and it tastes like apples. What a great way to get the kids to eat vegetables. Place five cups of peeled, seeded and sliced zucchini a saucepan. Add one third cup of granulated sugar, one fourth cup of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and three fourths cup apple cider or apple juice. Bring it to a boil then simmer for about 10 or 15 minutes or until the zucchini is soft and tender. Pour it into a greased pie pan for deep dish pies. Now, in a bowl combine 6 tablespoons of softened butter, one fourth teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, one cup of flour, and one half cup of brown sugar. Using a pastry cutter or two knives cut the mixture in to make a course meal and spread it over the zucchini. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in a 350 degree F oven. Serve it warm with ice cream. You won't believe it until you try it.

Make these recipes for your family when the days get short and cold and the apples get ripe. They will love it and request it frequently and if they are used to apple crisp make ones with Cheddar or Zucchini and see what they think. This is a dessert that you can look forward to every fall.

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