Apple crisp has always been one of my favourite desserts. Maybe it was because my mom considered it a healthy enough dessert to let us eat it for breakfast the next day, or maybe it was because it was my mom's go to dessert for having company over. I remember the exact smell that used to waft through the house as it baked in the oven, and then the torture of politely waiting for dinner to be done (and with company it was always longer!) so that I could dig into the delicious fruity goodness!
After getting my mom's recipe a few years ago, I have done some switching here and there, adding some different fruits depending on the season, and trying to strip away as much of the refined sugar as possible. Because it is a fruit based dessert, it really doesn't need much sugar since its pretty sweet already. I've stripped away as much of the "bad stuff" as I can from this recipe, although there were a few things that needed to stay. The first is the butter in the topping. Its only 1/4 c for the WHOLE crumble, and it really is necessary. I've tried subbing it for fruit purees, avocado and yogurt, but they mostly just burnt or made the topping soggy. So they butter stays. The other is a bit of sugar in the topping. I use about 1-2 tbsp of brown sugar depending on how sweet I want things. I found that by adding the vanilla I could cut the sugar almost in half without noticing a taste difference. If you use lots of sweet summer fruits (like peaches, pears and sweet apples) you can easily get away with minimal sugar, however some of the fall fruits (Granny Smith apples, cranberries and pumpkin) really do need a hint of sugar in the topping to make the flavours perfect. You'll also notice and odd ingredient for dessert on my ingredient list; cayenne pepper. I like a little bit of a kick in some desserts, and this crisp is no exception. If you like spice and are up for a bit of an adventure, add a dash or two of cayenne into the spice mix! I find that it complements the sweetness of the pumpkin so well.
My favourite apples to use are Granny Smith. They seem to hold up best for baking (the don't disintegrate and get soggy very easily), and add a nice tartness to the dish. I also love the tartness that cranberries add, so I usually put those in as well. Blueberries and raspberries are also excellent, but strawberries seem to get too soggy for me. A great fall combo is apple, rhubarb & pumpkin, with a few cranberries thrown in for colour! Below is the recipe I used tonight, but don't be afraid to mix and match! If you use pairs, the cooking time might be a bit reduced and I would also suggest upping the ginger, lowering the cinnamon and adding some clove!
Apple Crisp with a Twist
Fruit Mix
4 apples
1/2 c cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 c blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 - 3/4 c pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Wash, core & cut the apples into bite-sized pieces. I usually cut each apple into 12 slices, and cut those into smaller chunks.
3. In a large baking dish, mix the apples, cranberries & blueberries around.
4. Add pumpkin puree by the spoonful and mix around the fruit with your hands. You can add as much or as little as you want, depending on your tastes. I recommend at least a half a cut or so, enough to coat the fruit lightly.
Crumble Topping
1 c steel cut oats
1/3 c oat bran
1/3 c multigrain or whole wheat flour
1/4 c butter/margarine/coconut oil (softened)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1-2 tsbp brown sugar
1. In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cayenne & sugar. Mix well (especially if you are using cayenne).
2. In a large bowl mix the butter, oats, oat bran, flour & vanilla thoroughly. The best way to do this is with your hands. Once mixed, add the spice mixture & mix again.
3. Spread the mixture evenly over the fruit mixture in the baking pan.
4. Bake at 375 for 50-60 mins, until the crust has browned and the fruit is starting to bubble.
After getting my mom's recipe a few years ago, I have done some switching here and there, adding some different fruits depending on the season, and trying to strip away as much of the refined sugar as possible. Because it is a fruit based dessert, it really doesn't need much sugar since its pretty sweet already. I've stripped away as much of the "bad stuff" as I can from this recipe, although there were a few things that needed to stay. The first is the butter in the topping. Its only 1/4 c for the WHOLE crumble, and it really is necessary. I've tried subbing it for fruit purees, avocado and yogurt, but they mostly just burnt or made the topping soggy. So they butter stays. The other is a bit of sugar in the topping. I use about 1-2 tbsp of brown sugar depending on how sweet I want things. I found that by adding the vanilla I could cut the sugar almost in half without noticing a taste difference. If you use lots of sweet summer fruits (like peaches, pears and sweet apples) you can easily get away with minimal sugar, however some of the fall fruits (Granny Smith apples, cranberries and pumpkin) really do need a hint of sugar in the topping to make the flavours perfect. You'll also notice and odd ingredient for dessert on my ingredient list; cayenne pepper. I like a little bit of a kick in some desserts, and this crisp is no exception. If you like spice and are up for a bit of an adventure, add a dash or two of cayenne into the spice mix! I find that it complements the sweetness of the pumpkin so well.
My favourite apples to use are Granny Smith. They seem to hold up best for baking (the don't disintegrate and get soggy very easily), and add a nice tartness to the dish. I also love the tartness that cranberries add, so I usually put those in as well. Blueberries and raspberries are also excellent, but strawberries seem to get too soggy for me. A great fall combo is apple, rhubarb & pumpkin, with a few cranberries thrown in for colour! Below is the recipe I used tonight, but don't be afraid to mix and match! If you use pairs, the cooking time might be a bit reduced and I would also suggest upping the ginger, lowering the cinnamon and adding some clove!
Apple Crisp with a Twist
Fruit Mix
4 apples
1/2 c cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 c blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 - 3/4 c pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Wash, core & cut the apples into bite-sized pieces. I usually cut each apple into 12 slices, and cut those into smaller chunks.
3. In a large baking dish, mix the apples, cranberries & blueberries around.
4. Add pumpkin puree by the spoonful and mix around the fruit with your hands. You can add as much or as little as you want, depending on your tastes. I recommend at least a half a cut or so, enough to coat the fruit lightly.
Crumble Topping
1 c steel cut oats
1/3 c oat bran
1/3 c multigrain or whole wheat flour
1/4 c butter/margarine/coconut oil (softened)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1-2 tsbp brown sugar
1. In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cayenne & sugar. Mix well (especially if you are using cayenne).
2. In a large bowl mix the butter, oats, oat bran, flour & vanilla thoroughly. The best way to do this is with your hands. Once mixed, add the spice mixture & mix again.
3. Spread the mixture evenly over the fruit mixture in the baking pan.
4. Bake at 375 for 50-60 mins, until the crust has browned and the fruit is starting to bubble.
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