Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Apple Crisp


nakji

Recommended Posts

Yesterday I wanted to make an apple crisp to celebrate the start of the fall weather in my neighbourhood. It's not something I've made since living with my parents, where the Purity cookbook ruled for basics like this. I dug out my "basics" cookbook, which is Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" and he was suggesting heretical ingredients (to me) like nuts and coconut.

Over in this topic, some Canadians were talking about putting cheese in their apple crisp. That really blew my mind. Cheese. I can only conclude that, true to its name, the Purity cookbook is pretty minimalist with its oat-flour-butter-brown sugar topping, and that I have been limiting myself in apple crisp opportunities.

What do you put in your topping, and what kind of apples do you favour underneath?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use MacIntosh apples, a combination of brown and white sugar for the sweetness (I like the bit of molasses aftertaste), cinnamon, and an oatmeal/flour mixture topping.

Theresa :smile:

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

- Abraham Lincoln

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For the topping: Dark brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, pinch of salt, pinch of nutmeg, and butter - no oats.

Apples vary, depending on the quality. I've used Jonagold, McIntosh, and Golden Delicious, sometimes a combination.

There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

For a crisps, brown and white sugars, butter, flour cinnamon.

For crumbles I add oats

I like a combo of 2 apples usually a Macoun and Mcintosh, and some lemon

The cheese thing is not so unusual, New Englanders like a bit of Cheddar on their apple pies.

Gee, now I feel like making an apple crisp...

Edited by Jacquester (log)

“I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.”

W.C. Fields

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If its not to much trouble, as in you have the recipes electronically, would you folks post them ?

I would love to have a couple of really great recipes to make.

edited for grammar & spelling. I do it 95% of my posts so I'll state it here. :)

"I have never developed indigestion from eating my words."-- Winston Churchill

Talk doesn't cook rice. ~ Chinese Proverb

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For a crisps, brown and white sugars, butter, flour cinnamon.

For crumbles I add oats

Wait...is there a difference between an apple crumble and an apple crisp? I thought it was just a tomato/tomato thing. What distinguishes the two, to your minds? Is it only the oats that are different?

The cheese thing is not so unusual, New Englanders like a bit of Cheddar on their apple pies.

I like a bit of cheddar cheese with my apple baked goods, but I've never thought of actually grating it into the baked goods themselves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For a crisps, brown and white sugars, butter, flour cinnamon.

For crumbles I add oats

Wait...is there a difference between an apple crumble and an apple crisp? I thought it was just a tomato/tomato thing. What distinguishes the two, to your minds? Is it only the oats that are different?

The cheese thing is not so unusual, New Englanders like a bit of Cheddar on their apple pies.

I like a bit of cheddar cheese with my apple baked goods, but I've never thought of actually grating it into the baked goods themselves.

Interesting, I've been thinking about this and IF there is a difference, I would say the toping on the 'Crisp" is cooked longer and crunchy whereas on the crumble its crummy. LOL One of my favorite NYC commercially made sweets is Crumb Coffee Cake. It is square with a light coffee cake bottom and yummy cinnamon crumbs on top. To me this is a crumble type not a crisp.

Incidentally, the last couple of years when visiting NYC, I have not been able to find this I've looked hard too! I use to be able to find them at every deli, coffee franchise, and at both airports! Not anymore.

Ginger and I have just decided to have a getaway. Right now, we hold reservations for NYC and if we do ticket, when we go the first week this Nov along with all the recommendations for the best pizza, the best restaurants like Per Se, Michelin 3 Stars and where to get the best cheeseburgers, I will continue my quest to find one of my all time favorite snacks......Crumb Coffee Cake

There is definitely a difference between the two, I like them both but if I had to pick its the crummy crumble that wins!

edited for grammar & spelling. I do it 95% of my posts so I'll state it here. :)

"I have never developed indigestion from eating my words."-- Winston Churchill

Talk doesn't cook rice. ~ Chinese Proverb

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wait...is there a difference between an apple crumble and an apple crisp? I thought it was just a tomato/tomato thing. What distinguishes the two, to your minds? Is it only the oats that are different?

My understanding was that what distinguished a crumble from a crisp was that the crisp ended up as a fairly flat layer whereas the crumble came out more as chunks with the use of oats.

“I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.”

W.C. Fields

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For the topping, I usually mix (by volume, these ratios don't work out the same by weight but I usually don't bother weighing for this) 1 part flour, 1.5 parts brown sugar, 2 parts oats and a pinch of salt then rub in 1 part butter (example = 1/2c. flour, 3/4c. brown sugar, 1c. oats, 1/2c. butter). I sometimes add spices, zests, etc. depending on the filling involved but I prefer the plain version most of the time.

It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How appropriate - I am eating apple crisp right now.

I always make a big batch of crisp topping and keep it in the freezer. Equal parts oats, chopped nuts, brown sugar & flour, flavored with some cinnamon, and maybe ground ginger. Rub in enough butter (about half the quantity of the dry goods) to make pea-sized pieces. Spread out on a sheet tray and freeze, then transfer to a container or bag.

To make apple crisp for one, I saute an apple of choice (honey crisp, granny smith, macoun, gala, fuji, your choice) in a little honey or brown sugar and butter, pinch of salt, flour, and cinnamon and/or ginger. Saute until cooked, but still very firm. Put into ramekin & top with topping. Bake in 450* oven for 15-20 min until topping is browned and crispy.

Let sit 10-15 minutes before eating.

Can work for lots of other fruits as well.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The recipe I use is from the Black Dog Summer on the Vineyard Cookbook. It's simple and quite tasty.

Here's a link to the book at Google Books. If that is too much work (it's a long URL), google Black Dog apple crisp.

http://books.google.com/books?id=yszCvKs-SBMC&lpg=PA208&ots=reynWw-v25&dq=black%20dog%20apple%20crisp&pg=PA208#v=onepage&q=black%20dog%20apple%20crisp&f=false

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always make a big batch of crisp topping and keep it in the freezer. Equal parts oats, chopped nuts, brown sugar & flour, flavored with some cinnamon, and maybe ground ginger. Rub in enough butter (about half the quantity of the dry goods) to make pea-sized pieces. Spread out on a sheet tray and freeze, then transfer to a container or bag.

To make apple crisp for one, I saute an apple of choice (honey crisp, granny smith, macoun, gala, fuji, your choice) in a little honey or brown sugar and butter, pinch of salt, flour, and cinnamon and/or ginger. Saute until cooked, but still very firm. Put into ramekin & top with topping. Bake in 450* oven for 15-20 min until topping is browned and crispy.

That's a pretty genius method. Do you think it's possible to freeze pre-assembled individual apple crisps and bake them as needed? Would the apples suffer much, I wonder?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

King Arthur Flour's Whole Grain companion has a great Apple-Raspberry Oat Crumble recipe. The raspberries add a touch of tartness to offset the sweetness of the apples. The crumble portion uses both oat flour and rolled oats, which makes it gluten free, for those who care.

I occasionally make a quick grilled apple crumble when I am barbecuing. I cut an apple in half, core it with a melon baller and then top with a crumble topping. Once I am done with the barbeque, I place the apples on the grill and let the residual heat from the charcoal to cook the apples. Typically, they are done just as we are finished with dinner.

Dan

"Salt is born of the purest of parents: the sun and the sea." --Pythagoras.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

For the topping, I usually mix (by volume, these ratios don't work out the same by weight but I usually don't bother weighing for this) 1 part flour, 1.5 parts brown sugar, 2 parts oats and a pinch of salt then rub in 1 part butter (example = 1/2c. flour, 3/4c. brown sugar, 1c. oats, 1/2c. butter). I sometimes add spices, zests, etc. depending on the filling involved but I prefer the plain version most of the time.

Made an apple crisp last night using Tri2Cook's topping, but with a few sliced almonds added. Russet apples as the base, mixed with a little lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon. Oh my this was good!

Matthew Kayahara

Kayahara.ca

@mtkayahara

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Made my annual batch of crisp topping last week and it is waiting in the freezer. Have also been keeping strawberries and mango chunks in the freezer for my morning smoothies. Wondering if they would make a good experiment or just be a waste of good ingredients...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My mom's just has apples (and maybe a bit of lemon) on the bottom, and crumb topping on top. The crumb topping is butter (or other solid fat), brown sugar, white sugar, and a little flour and cinnamon, pulsed together in the food processor. I usually add a pinch of salt and some other spices to the crumb topping, and occasionally oats.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm one of "those Canadians" who grate cheddar cheese into my baked topping for apple crisp. It's from the can label of E.D. Smith apple pie filling. I have used the pie filling but prefer using a mix of fresh McIntosh and Granny Smith apples gently cooked with brown sugar and cinnamon.

The recipe is:

1 - cup all purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

1 ½ tsp. baking POWDER

½ tsp. salt

1 ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese ( I use old cheddar)

1/3 cup melted butter

¼ cup milk

1.Combine and sift all dry ingredients and mix with the cheese

2.Mix together the melted butter and milk. and fold gently into the dry ingredients until all the flour is incorporated

5.Spoon apple pie filling into a shallow 1 quart / 1 litre baking dish

6.Drop flour/cheese mixture by forkful to evenly cover the entire dish. Don’t press down! Use the fork to spread the dough if lumpy

7.Bake in pre-heated oven at 375F for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown

The top of the crisp is crisp. The inside is soft...SO good with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

I have also made this in ramakins

aplcrsp5687.jpg

Dejah

www.hillmanweb.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think a cobbler is "smoother"...more like a pie crust? At least the ones I've had are like a "pie" in a square baking dish. Definitely not a crumble. How would a "crisp" be defined? I don't know. This was called Canadian Cheddar Cheese Apple Crisp on the label. It is a little crispy on the top of the crust but soft inside. Whatever name, I can guaranttee it's deliciousness... :wink:

Dejah

www.hillmanweb.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It does look good :smile:

To me, a cobbler involves a rich, thick batter dropped over the fruit in spoonfuls (it's the milk - and the amount of it - in that recipe that crosses the line out of strict crumble territory).

Something like the picture here.

QUIET!  People are trying to pontificate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Made my annual batch of crisp topping last week and it is waiting in the freezer. Have also been keeping strawberries and mango chunks in the freezer for my morning smoothies. Wondering if they would make a good experiment or just be a waste of good ingredients...

Liz, what do you mean by your "annual batch of crisp topping?"


Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to use a regular streusal, just flour, sugar, butter, oats, but apple crumble (crisp) turns out beautifully with an oatmeal cookie topping. It's got more substance to it, and it seals in the juices below.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

I'm one of "those Canadians" who grate cheddar cheese into my baked topping for apple crisp. It's from the can label of E.D. Smith apple pie filling. I have used the pie filling but prefer using a mix of fresh McIntosh and Granny Smith apples gently cooked with brown sugar and cinnamon.

 

Just put together an apple/fresh cranberry/dried cranberry/walnut dessert with Dejah's cheese topping.  Delicious.  Just delicious.  A new dessert for us.  Thanks Dejah.

Edited by Darienne (log)

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In the past I've tried to verify the difference between a crumble and a crisp. Both are basically a streusel topping, but most sources say that one contains flaked oats and the other doesn't. The funny part is that there are conflicting views on which one has the oats. Must be a very regional thing; many recipes that seem almost identical to me are called crisps and crumbles regardless of the oat factor. To my mind a cobbler is different: it is like a drop biscuit topping over the fruit. Then there are all those other variations, such as slumps and grunts, which to me sound like they originated in the backwoods or were invented by little magic people.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...