Ani’s Apple Crisp –

Ingredients Topping  

• 3 T. unsalted butter, broken into several pieces  
• 3 T. walnut oil  
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour  
• 1/2 c. rolled oats (not quick-cooking)  
• 1 handful of walnuts, chopped  
• 1/2 t. salt  
• 1/2 t. freshly grated nutmeg  
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Ingredients –  Filling

• Approximately 2 pounds of apples (see note)
• 1/2 cup or so of fresh or frozen cranberries
• 3 T. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar (I prefer brown, but granulated is fine)
• ground cinnamon (1 t. or to taste)

NOTE:  A combination of Fuji, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and maybe one other of your choice makes for the most interesting and tasty apple dessert.  About 4 medium apples should do.  Though there’s lots of leeway here, it’s essential to have one tart apple (such as the Granny Smith) for flavor.

Preparing the Topping:  Using your fingers, work the butter with the sugar, flour, oats and spices so that each piece is coated and you have a coarse, crumbly mixture.  Stir in the walnut oil and add chopped walnuts, incorporating well.  (Variation made with all butter: if you haven’t any walnut oil and the urge strikes you to make this dessert with what’s on hand, you can substitute 6 T. butter.  But walnut oil is delicious in certain salad dressings too and really nice to have around.  Keep refrigerated.)

The Filling:  Peel and core the apples and cut into bite-size pieces.  Mix with cranberries, flour, sugar and spices.  Pour into a 2-inch high baking dish, and cover with the crisp topping.

Baking: Bake at 375° F until the fruit is bubbly and thickened around the edges and the crisp topping is browned.  (Depending on your baking dish and the variability of ovens, this may take up to an hour, but check sooner.  If it begins to brown too much before its edges get bubbly, cover with aluminum foil for the duration.)

Served warm is best.  But even cold for breakfast, with plain or vanilla yogurt, is good!  (In a future installment, I’ll share my recipe for Vanilla Cardamom Ice-Cream, a rather divine accompaniment to a simple, homey dessert.)

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