Apple and Cranberry Crisp

When I was growing up, I had a huge garden in my old home. My mom was always planting new things and growing fruits and vegetables that were in season. We had a cherry tree, apple tree and a peach tree. She also grew tomatoes, fresh herbs and a variety of other produce. In the fall, I would help my mom pick all of the apples that we got from our tree and we would make apple sauce, apple tarts and apple crisps. That is when my obsession with crisps came to be.

My favorite dessert is a crisp. They are so easy to make and you can add any type of fruit that you want. In the spring/summer you can make a crisp with berries or peaches and in the fall/winter you can make it with pears or apples. I love the balance of sweet and salty and the crunch from the oats.

Here is how I did it:

Apple and Cranberry Crisp 

Ingredients: 

- 1 cup of oats 

- 3/4 cup of flour 

- 1/4 cup plus 1 tbs of sugar 

- 1 tbs brown sugar 

- 1/2 tsp salt 

- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

- 1 stick of soften butter 

- 5 large tart apples 

- 1/4 cup of cranberries 

- 1 tbs cranberry juice 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, mix together the oats, flour, 1/4 cup sugar, brown sugar, salt and 1 tsp of cinnamon. Add the butter and mix until all of the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is flakey. Place in the fridge. 

Peel and cut the apples in quarters and then slice them thinly. In a small bowl, add the dried cranberries and cranberry juice and microwave for 1 minute to reconstitute the cranberries. Mix the sliced apples and cranberries in a bowl and add 1 tbs sugar and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. 

Place the apples in a 9 inch round baking dish and crumble the oat mixture overtop. Place in the oven and bake for 55 minutes until the apples are soft. 

You can also make this dessert ahead of time and just place it back in the oven before you want to serve it to your guests. I also recommend adding a dollop of ice cream or cool whip to balance some of the richness of the crisp.

Anne