Recipe: Apple Crisp

In addition to apple pie I really like to make apple crisp. It's a lot easier and in my view just as tasty, although typically there are fewer "oohs" and "ahhs" at the meal when you bring it out. Also it is a bit messier to serve. So the performance value at a meal is less. But if you are like the Naked Chef it is the taste not the aesthetics that really count and so apple crisp is for you.

As I said crisp is easier to make than apple pie because of the crust. Whether you do a crisp or pie depends upon how much you are impressing your friends with the look and how much you like the pie crust. If it is the apples you are after, crisp is the way to go.

Spread butter (or margarine) on the bottom and sides of a 9 by 13 inch Pyrex dish. Preheat oven to 350.

Apple Filling (almost identical to the one for apple pie):

• 6-7 apples
    • Juice of 1 lemon
    • ½ cup sugar
    • Heavy dashes of cinnamon and a small pinch of ground cloves (or nutmeg)

Core, skin and thinly (1/4 inch wedges) slice apples. Place into a bowl and toss with sugar, lemon juice, corn starch and spices. Spread evenly in the Pyrex dish.

Crisp Topping:

• 1 cup of flour
    • ½ to 2/3 of a cup of sugar
    • 6 tablespoons of butter or margarine.

Place flour and sugar in mixing bowl and lightly mix until blended. Cut up butter and add to flour and sugar mixture and mix until in tiny yellow balls--crumbly. Spread evenly over the apples.

Place Pyrex dish in oven and cook for 40 to 50 minutes. The top of the crisp should be light brown. Remove and serve in 10 minutes.