Mom's Apple Crisp

Tonight I went for an old classic in the Black Family--apple crisp. My mom has made us apple crisp for as long as I can remember, particularly in the fall. I know it's apple crisp season when Honey Crisp apples hit the shelves. They are the sweetest apples known to mankind (and were first created only 40 minutes from here at the University of Minnesota).

My first step in making apple crisp fell short. I went to the farmer's market to purchase a bag of Honey Crisps from the Circle-K Orchard stand, but they were sold out! I had to settle for Fireside apples and they turned out to be just what I was looking for.

The recipe is quite simple. Cut a few apples, make the crust, sprinkle some sugar and bake. That's about it.

I started with seven apples, but that ended up being too many for my 9" x 14" Pyrex cake pan. I sprayed Pam on the inside of the pan then filled it to the top with sliced apples (I made applesauce for Isaiah with the leftover apples). Once the apples were in the pan, I sprinkled cinnamon and sugar over the top.

I mixed the ingredients for the crust in our Kitchen Aid stand-up mixer (I know, spoiled). Once mixed, I put the crust over the top of the apples. This was harder than I had anticipated. The dough stuck to the apples and was difficult to evenly spread.

I put the pan in the oven at 425 and waited 40-45 minutes before taking it out. As my brother says, wait until the crust is golden brown. I did and it turned out fabulous! The Fireside apples were not very sweet and it was exactly what I needed tonight. I didn't put the caramel over the top like I suggested in the video (always trust your gut instinct while cooking/baking).

Ingredients:
6 apples (I used Fireside, but Honey Crisp is best)
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons)

Background music: Third Day - Born Again (and college football)
Weather: 39-degrees (F), early morning snow