Apple Crisp

[GlorifiedRice]

I was sad to learn (pre prediabetes diagnosis) that the Roy Rogers Restaurant 25 miles awa at the Rest Stop in Morgantown Pa DID NOT have the Roy Rogers Apple Cheese Crisp.

Anyone remember that?

[ChocoMom]

For a "Crisp", I always buttered the dish; then mixed sliced apples, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and ground cloves-with a tiny bit of cornstarch.  The topping consisted of brown sugar, butter, flour, oats and pecan pieces. Baked until it was bubbly and gooey. Served with ice cream.

 

We had an early frost up here, and most of the apples fell off the trees way too early before they were ripe, so I didn't get any. (The turkeys were kind enough to gobble them all up, though.)  

 

What kind of apples do you all use in your crisp? Just curious.   I'm a sucker for a good heirloom, so I'd normally pick a Northern Spy. They're firm enough to hold some shape when baked, and have a great flavor.  We have some Wolf River apples at our house also, but they're way too soft to bake like that. It would turn to apple-sauce crisp, instead.  

[Tri2Cook]

What kind of apples do you all use in your crisp? Just curious.   I'm a sucker for a good heirloom, so I'd normally pick a Northern Spy. They're firm enough to hold some shape when baked, and have a great flavor.  We have some Wolf River apples at our house also, but they're way too soft to bake like that. It would turn to apple-sauce crisp, instead.  

There's not a large selection of varieties available where I live so I usually use a mix of Granny Smith and McIntosh.

 

[Anna N]

I do the no oats version with flour, butter brown sugar cinnamon and nutmeg. I much prefer it. Only my humble opinion.

I go even simpler. Flour, butter and sugar. It can easily be made in bulk and frozen as can many of these toppings.

[lindag]

I recently made this one and it was wonderful:  (Maybe it was the booze that did it.)

 

The Best Apple Crisp

 

For the crisp topping:
100 g (3 3/4 ounces, about 3/4 cup) all purpose flour
165 g (5 3/4 ounces, about 3/4 cup) raw (Turbinado) sugar
1 Tbs freshly grated zest from 1 lemon
1 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (see note above)
1 tsp kosher salt
100 g (3 3/4 ounces, about 1 cup) toasted pecans
145 g (5 ounces, 10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and chilled
For the apple base:
4 apples, cored and diced (such as Golden Delicious; see note above)
3 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs cornstarch
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbs bourbon, rye, or Scotch

For the crisp topping: Pre-heat oven to 375°F. In a food processor, pulse flour, raw sugar, lemon zest, nutmeg, and salt until well combined.

Add pecans and pulse just until pecans start to break apart, 2 to 3 pulses. Some whole pecans should still be visible.

Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles a coarse meal with pea-sized chunks. Transfer to a bowl and chill in refrigerator or freezer until ready to bake.

To bake: Toss apples, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and whiskey in a large mixing bowl until evenly combined. Transfer to baking dish and cover with crisp topping, spreading it into an even layer across the dish. Do not pack topping down with your hands. Bake until topping is darker in color, sandy, dry, and firm to the touch, about 45 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

 Serves 6 to 8

Source: Serious Eats

[Darienne]

Sounds delicious Lindag.  But pray tell me, is there much of anything that does not taste better with a couple of ounces of "booze"?

[Anna N]

Here is the recipe I have used for years. I will often use just apples and sugar in the filling.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jamie-oliver/summer-crumble-recipe.html

[Darienne]

I have a question:  recipes from casserole book, Bake Until Bubbly by Clifford A. Wright.  All apples are Granny Smith.

#1 (which I've made and it's wonderful) - Cranberry-Apple-Walnut Crisp calls for: 2 cups cranberries and 4 cups apples with 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/3 cup orange juice with a sugary crisp topping calling for 1 cup of sugar which I personally found too sweet.

 

#2 -  Apple Cobbler call for 6 apples with 1 cup sugar with a topping with only 2 T of sugar in the biscuity-type topping. 

 

#3 - Apple Pandowdy calls for 6 apples and 1/2 cup sugar with a biscuity-type topping with no sugar.

 

Why such changes in the amount of sugar?  The first recipe with 2 cups of cranberries taste just fine with so little sugar...is it simply the topping?  and the second recipe...would it not be sickeningly sweet?  And  the third calls for half the sugar of the second with no sugar in the topping.  Would it not taste lacking in sweetness?

Granted I can make them all but I am mystified by the unequal amounts of sugar called for.  (As noted many times before, my cooking skills are very lately acquired and so I can't just 'know' about these things.)  Any comments? 

[Jaymes]

I'm not a baker so can't answer all your questions but will point out that the first recipe contains cranberries, which are very tart. It makes sense to me that that would require more sugar than a recipe that calls for apples alone.

[cakewalk]

I have a question:  recipes from casserole book, Bake Until Bubbly by Clifford A. Wright.  All apples are Granny Smith.

#1 (which I've made and it's wonderful) - Cranberry-Apple-Walnut Crisp calls for: 2 cups cranberries and 4 cups apples with 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/3 cup orange juice with a sugary crisp topping calling for 1 cup of sugar which I personally found too sweet.

 

#2 -  Apple Cobbler call for 6 apples with 1 cup sugar with a topping with only 2 T of sugar in the biscuity-type topping. 

 

#3 - Apple Pandowdy calls for 6 apples and 1/2 cup sugar with a biscuity-type topping with no sugar.

 

Why such changes in the amount of sugar?  The first recipe with 2 cups of cranberries taste just fine with so little sugar...is it simply the topping?  and the second recipe...would it not be sickeningly sweet?  And  the third calls for half the sugar of the second with no sugar in the topping.  Would it not taste lacking in sweetness?

Granted I can make them all but I am mystified by the unequal amounts of sugar called for.  (As noted many times before, my cooking skills are very lately acquired and so I can't just 'know' about these things.)  Any comments? 

Just some things that come to mind:

 

1) Read Richard Sax's "Classic Home Desserts," in which he talks about differences (mostly regional and seasonal) in crisps, cobblers, grunts, slumps, pandowdies, etc. "Fruit and dough -- these are the essentials." The rest is commentary.

 

2) Often the change in amounts of sugar is due to the change in sweetness (or type) of fruit. What's puzzling (as you mentioned) is that those recipes all call for Granny Smiths. But also, the different items (crisp or pandowdy, etc.) will call for the dough to be in a different place: under the fruit, over the fruit, in the middle, etc. So a different level of sweetness might be needed because of the different preparations.

 

3) Unlike most baking, which tends to be very precise, the crisp/cobbler family is flexible. (Even arbitrary.) I'm not familiar with the book you're using (great title), but the recipes you mention seem to reflect that flexibility. (Except in type of apple, I don't know why he sticks to only granny smiths. But I'm not objective, I dislike granny smiths and never use them in anything!)

 

4) He couldn't sell a book that had 5 apple cobbler recipes that were all the same!

 

5) Let your own tastes guide you. (And may the force be with you!)

[Darienne]

I'm not a baker so can't answer all your questions but will point out that the first recipe contains cranberries, which are very tart. It makes sense to me that that would require more sugar than a recipe that calls for apples alone.

My point exactly Jaymes.  I've made this one and the amount of sugar works out just fine. 

Edited November 10, 2014 by Darienne (log)

[Lindacakes]

I am searching for the perfect apple crisp and I think I found it.

 

I made a variation of the Caramel Apple Crisp on Epicurious and it was pretty well near perfect, although a bit of work.  A crisp should be easy, really.

 

I like oats in the crisp and if nuts, they have to be walnuts.  Brown sugar.

 

Salt in the caramel.

 

I am partial to Honeycrisps, which is not a baking apple, but I just buy a bag of Honeycrisps and use them.

[Anna N]

I totally agree with you that an apple crisp should be easy. To me that's its reason for being. Once it becomes complicated and calls for many ingredients it is another dessert entirely. But that is purely a personal opinion.