Apple Crisp

Whenever you crave for some simple heart-warming dessert which does not require careful measurements and elaborate baking or cooking instructions, you can rely on an old-fashioned Crisp recipe. Crisps, Cobblers or Crumbles (they are pretty much the same) are all an easy way to dish out a dessert that primarily contains some fresh seasonal fruit, a bit of essence or spice, and a layer of nice crumbly topping, generally using AP flour or oatmeal.

What we have here is a delicate crumble that is made even simpler than a basic recipe, courtesy or Woman’s Day magazine. A healthy, fruity, and low-calorie dessert, this Apple Crisp combines a generous helping of raspberries too, which adds color and flavor, and instead of traditional crumble, it uses Pecan Sandies – innovative and easy!. Feel free to swap these fruits with whatever you prefer – you can hardly go wrong with a fresh fruity Crisp recipe! [photo courtesy of Kate Sears]

Apple Raspberry Crisp

Ingredients

4 Gala apples (2 lb), peeled, cored and sliced about 1⁄4 in. thick
2 cups frozen unsweetened raspberries (from 12-oz pkg)
1⁄3 cup maple syrup or pancake syrup
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract
1⁄2 tsp apple pie spice (substitute with a pinch of nutmeg & cinnamon instead)
8 reduced-fat pecan shortbread cookies (Pecan Sandies)
1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Vanilla ice cream (optional, to serve)

Method
Heat oven to 375ºF. Coat a 1 1⁄2-qt. shallow baking dish with nonstick spray.

Toss the apple slices, frozen raspberries, maple syrup, cornstarch, vanilla and spice in large bowl. Evenly spread into prepared baking dish and cover with foil.

Bake for about 45 minutes. Remove foil, crumble shortbread cookies on top and sprinkle with pecans. Bake uncovered for 10 more minutes or until fruit is tender and mixture is bubbly.

Use a ladle & knife to spoon up nice big servings. Transfer each serving into a dessert plate. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

It is hard to mess up a Crisp recipe, and the use of fruits leads to endless variations. Peaches, Plums, Apricots, Cherries, Berries are all great – so raid your farmer’s markets and create a sweet and memorable dessert that is very easy to pull off!

Related Recipes
Homemade Apple Pie
Blueberry Crumble
Homemade Apple Butter