Recipe: Harvest Apple Crisp
Serves: 6
Coffee: La Colombe’s Nicaragua – El Diamante Auction Lot
With over 21,000 acres of apple-growing land, our home state of Pennsylvania is the country’s 4th largest producer. So it’s no wonder that apples show up in many of our fall recipes. This apple crisp makes an awesome dessert served with caramel sauce and coffee ice cream, or it can stand alone as a flavorful and wholesome breakfast dish.
Topping
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
7 Tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
Place flour, sugar and walnuts in food processor, and process until combined (use quick pulses; the nuts should be coarse, not finely ground). Cut the butter into small pieces, and add to the food processor, pulsing until a lumpy paste is formed (about 30 seconds). Refrigerate until ready to use.
Fruit
1/2 cup dried fruit (like sour cherries or golden raisins)
1 Tablespoon bourbon or rum, nut or fruit liqueur or brandy
8 Granny Smith apples, peels left on and cut into 1/2-inch diced (yields about 8 cups)
– Unpeeled fruit falls apart during extended cooking.
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 Tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/2 Tablespoon white granulated sugar
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch ground all spice
Method
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Set aside a 9 X 13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
Place dried fruit in small heatproof bowl, and cover with boiling water. Set aside until the fruit softens and plumps, about 30 minutes. (Or cover with water, and put in microwave for 1 minute.) Drain water, and toss fruit with liquor, liqueur or brandy.
Place apples in large mixing bowl, sprinkle with lemon juice, and toss. Add vanilla, and toss again. Sprinkle in dried fruit (along with any remaining liquor, liqueur or brandy), and toss to evenly distribute. Sprinkle flour, sugar and spices over the fruit, and toss to coat. Let fruit mixture sit at room temperature to draw out natural juices, at least 30 minutes.
Transfer apple mixture to baking dish. Evenly crumble cold topping over fruit, and bake in preheated oven until crisp topping is browned and fruit is bubbling around the edges, about 30 minutes. If the crisp is not done at this time, reduce temperature to 350°F, and continue to cook until completed, up to another 15 minutes. (At the higher temperature, the crisp will begin to burn around edges before toasting evenly on the middle of the top.) Remove from oven.
Presentation
When serving hot: Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before spooning into serving dishes. When serving cold: Cool to room temperature, wrap, and refrigerate. Either way, top with whipped cream or ice cream, changing the flavorings to match the meal.
