This is my mother-in-law, Kathy’s recipe for apple crisp. John loves her recipe best, since he doesn’t like apple crisp with oats in the topping. I think the topping is the secret to why it’s so good! All the brown sugar melts and becomes all caramelized. (I wanted to say caramelly, but I don’t think that’s a word!) Serve with ice cream – I recommend Haagen Dazs vanilla, which is my favorite. This recipe works great cut in half or fourths for a quick dessert for a few people.
Apple Crisp Adapted slightly from my mother-in-law, Kathy
6 cups apples, peeled and chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/8 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
A pinch each of nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves
Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
Combine apples, lemon juice, flour, sugar, and spices. Put in greased 9×13 baking dish.
Mix the remaining ingredients using a pastry blender or your fingers, mixing until crumbs form. Spread over apples. A few nuts may be added if desired. Bake for approximately 1 hour at 350 degrees, or until the top is crispy and golden brown and the apples are soft.
My friend Rachel and I spent an afternoon at the apple orchard and baking apple goodies. Rachel is an amazing cook and an awesome friend. We stopped over to her parents’ house (her mom Lois is also a great cook) to pick up an apple peeler-corer-slicer that came in handy for all those apples we had to prep! (Oh, and we got some free lunch out of the visit.) We made quite a mess of my tidy kitchen, but no worries, it’s all tidy again!
Here’s some pictures to document our accomplishments…
Applesauce – super easy to make from scratch
Apple Pie - look at that PERFECT crust Rachel made – amazing!
And Apple Muffins – these got taken to work for my co-workers
I’d love to hear what are you doing to enjoy all the awesome flavors of Fall!
When the weather turns cold, I crave comfort foods. How about you? Here’s the perfect thing to satisfy your cravings. Watch out – I cut this recipe in half and it still made way too much! I’ll link to the original recipe in case you want to feed a crowd, but if you’re cooking for fewer than 6 people, I’ve halved the recipe for you. The key to a smooth cheese sauce is warming the milk before making the sauce (thanks, Martha, for the tip!).
Macaroni & Cheese Adapted from Martha Stewart, Feeds about 6
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 1.5 qt casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. Melt one tablespoon of butter in a small dish and add the bread crumbs and stir to coat. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat (stir occasionally). Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, stir and cook for one minute. Slowly pour in the warm milk, and whisk constantly. Continue to cook and the mixture should bubble and become thick. Remove from heat and add the cheese, reserving 1/4 cup. Stir until the cheese is melted. Set aside.
Cook the pasta to al dente, then drain and mix with the cheese sauce. Pour into the prepared casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheese and the breadcrumbs. Bake at 375 degrees until warm throughout and bubbly, about 20-30 minutes. The top should be nice and golden brown. Serve with a salad or broccoli.
