Easy Apple Crisp

Costco is a dangerous place. I recently tagged along with my sister and her boyfriend, and ended up purchasing a big flat of Fuji apples. As part of my new year's plan to get more fruits and veggies into my diet, I thought this was a great idea. However, lots of peanut-butter-and-apple snacks later, we still had a ton left, so I was ready to cave in and make an apple crisp. 

I'm so glad I did, because it was absolutely delicious and received rave reviews from Stuart. I also made the delicious discovery that a scoop of leftover apple crisp added to plain Greek yogurt in the morning makes an AMAZING breakfast. Recipe modified from Joy of Baking.

Ingredients:

Filling:

6 cups apples (cut into thin slices, about ½ inch wide)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon sugar

Topping:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

1/8 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 and butter a 9-inch pie plate or an 8 x 8 x 2 inch baking dish.

2. Place all the topping ingredients (flour, sugars, spices, butter, oats and nuts) and mix until there are no large pieces of butter visible. You can use a food processor, but I started with two knives and then finished mixing by hand – messy but effective. Set aside while you prepare the filling.

3. Place the apple chunks in a large bowl, and toss with the lemon juice and sugar. Transfer to your prepared baking dish. Spread the topping evenly over the apples.

4. Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes or until bubbly and the topping is golden brown. (If you insert the tip of a sharp knife into a chunk of apple, it should be tender, not too mushy.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes before serving.

 Shown here with vanilla ice cream, but also heavenly with Greek yogurt for breakfast