Food For Thought - World's Best Apple Crisp

I recently received an email from Chatelaine magazine with fall recipes, including what they were calling their classic apple crisp. I was excited. Thought they were going to share the recipe that I have been making for the past 46 years from a really old Chatelaine cookbook. My first ever cookbook actually. Alas, it was not the same recipe. They had changed it somewhere along the way. So, it might be a classic but it is not as old and classic as me and my cookbook ;)

I start making this dessert in late summer, as soon as the apples are ripe on the tree and keep making it all through the fall and winter months. I triple the recipe for Thanksgiving and potlucks. I love it with a cup of tea in the afternoon while I watch The Midwives, or for breakfast. I mean, it has tons of fruit so has to be good for you... right?

It sinks down a lot when you bake it so add as much fruit as you want! I tend to prefer a bigger fruit to crisp ratio.

Peel and core your apples. The recipe calls for 5 or 6 medium sized apples. I often use as many as 8 or 9.

Place the crumbly topping evenly over top of the apples. Place in 375°F oven and bake till browned on top, 30 to 40 minutes.

That is it. This recipe is bomb proof, you cannot go wrong.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

5 to 6 apples (feel free to use more)

1/2 cup large flake oats

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup butter or margarine

Peel, core, and slice apples. Place in a baking dish.

Place the other ingredients into a bowl and mix them together well to create the crispy topping. I use a pastry blender but you can use your fingers or a couple of knives to shop up that butter and mix it all together.

The mixture will be rough and crumbly. Chop butter into pea sized bits.

Evenly spread the topping over the apples.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

Tastes great warm or cold on it's own, or serve with ice cream, cream, cashew milk, oat milk, vanilla almond creamer...

My Favourite Variations

Use a combination of apples and pears together, bake for a bit longer.

Pears and cranberries are amazing together. I may even like this combo more than the apple. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes as pears take a bit longer to soften.

You can easily double or triple the recipe to bring to Thanksgiving dinner or potlucks.

You can play with it and add any spices you like - ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg.... We prefer it without and the recipe does not call for any, but you make it yours!

I really hope you enjoy this recipe!

It is one of my all time favourites, one that has stood the test of time ~ Tanja