Delicious Apple Crisp: A Recipe for Two

Ever since I was little, my mom made apple crisp as a special treat in the winter. We lived on a farm, and after an hour or two of doing chores out in the cold, it was so exciting to come in and smell that yummy, cinnamon-y, spicy smell of baking apple crisp. We could hardly wait for it to finish baking! It is best when eaten warm so we didn't have to wait for it to cool very much before we eagerly dug in and chowed down, savoring the tender, juicy apple chunks and the crunchy topping--a perfect combination. If we got really lucky, we each got a scoop of vanilla ice cream plopped on top of or beside the apple crisp, and we ate it quickly before the ice cream all melted into a rich puddle at the bottom of the pile.

Some people refer to this dish as apple crunch, brown betty, or apple brown betty, but I have always known it as apple crisp, so that is what I prefer to call it. I made it for lunch the other day and decided it would be a great recipe to share on HubPages. This recipe is about the right amount for me and my husband. Depending on whether we are very hungry, we sometimes have a few bites left over, but in general I would say it's about right for two people.

This recipe also a good way to use up apples that have a few spots or need trimming and aren't nice enough for fresh eating anymore. Just cut away the brown spots and it will be just fine.

Ingredients:

For the apple mixture:

2 cups apples, peeled, cored and diced ( I don't typically measure--I just use three large or four medium apples)

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

For the topping:

1/2 cup regular (old fashioned) uncooked oatmeal

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 tablespoons butter, chilled

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Here's how:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (Fahrenheit).

In a mixing bowl, combine the diced apples, 1/4 cup sugar, flour, and lemon juice. Toss apples until they are nicely coated with the flour mixture. Pour the apple mixture into a greased glass or ceramic loaf pan. (Or you can cut back on the number of dishes by dicing the apples right into the baking dish and adding the other ingredients on top, then tossing with a fork to coat.)

In another bowl, combine the oatmeal, brown sugar, white sugar, butter, and cinnamon. Use a pastry blender to mix the topping ingredients until the butter is divided into small pea-size lumps. Sprinkle the topping ingredients evenly over the apple mixture.

Bake the apple dessert at 375 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how crisp you like the apples to be. After 20 minutes, they are still a bit crunchy for my taste, so I prefer to bake them for 30 minutes to get them nice and tender. This recipe makes 2-3 servings.

Serve the apple crisp warm, with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you are feeling indulgent. The combination of tender apples and crunchy topping, sweetness and cinnamon spice is delightful! Enjoy!