Apple Crisp

Fruit crisps are my favorite desserts in the winter: steaming, soft fruit with a super crispy topping.  I'm not as big of a fan of apples as my boyfriend; he loves any and all kinds (especially McIntosh, the mealiest of all apples).  I made this dessert mostly for him, but even I loved it.  What's more comforting when it's cold out?

3/4 cup pecans
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (3.75 ounces)
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup dark brown sugar (3.5 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar (3.5 ounces)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 tablespoons unsalted butter (5 ounces)
3 pounds Golden Delicious apples (7 apples)
1 lemon
1 cup apple cider

Roughly chop the pecans.  I always buy nuts unchopped because it lengthens their shelf life; once the nuts are diced, they'll go rancid quickly, so always store them in the freezer in an airtight bag.

In a larger bowl than pictured above (I spilled everything everywhere), combine flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.  Fold in the chopped pecans.



Melt 8 tablespoons butter in the microwave in 1 minute intervals to avoid hot butter explosions.  Combine with oat mixture until an even crumble forms.

Peel, core, and cut the apples into 8 slices each.  I used one of these to avoid this process taking half an hour.  Toss evenly with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.  You could seriously eat the apples at this stage and they'd be delicious...

...but if you're continuing, juice half a lemon into a cup.

Simmer apple cider in an ovensafe skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until reduced by about half.  I'm addicted to apple cider (I think I'm on my 7th gallon of the season); it gives the crisp a tart, almost alcoholic snap.  Pour the reduced cider into the lemon juice.

Add 2 tablespoons butter to the now empty pan and cook until bubbling.

Add the apples and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the apples are a little soft.  Toss every few minutes.  They should start breaking apart a little, but shouldn't be fully cooked.  Add cider and lemon mix and stir gently.

Cover the apples with an even layer of the crumble topping.

Set the skillet on a baking sheet (in case ooey gooey apple goodness overflows) and bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Monitor the crisp carefully for the last 5 minutes since the topping can burn easily.

Let the crisp rest for 15 minutes before eating so that the liquids can firm up a little into a sauce.  Ughh.  Soo gooood.