Apple Crisp for Two

When I first got married, one of the hardest things I had to figure out was how to cook for TWO people. (I was used to cooking for a family of five.) Sure, there's benefits of having leftovers, but when you have had to eat the same thing for what seems days on end...it gets a little old. I found that one of the more challenging things to make in a manageable size was dessert. And so I bring you...

Apple Crisp for Two

(Please note that although the ingredients are listed correctly, the pictures are of a double batch. (My brother stopped by the night I was making this, and since he let me sculpt his head out of clay, I thought it would be nice if I fed him, too.)

Crisp Part
3 Tablespoons flour
3 Tablespoons butter (softened, not melted)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup uncooked oats


Apple Part
2-3 medium-large apples cored, peeled, and sliced
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
3/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 Tablespoon flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the 3 Tablespoons flour, butter, brown sugar, and oats in a bowl and mix until well combined. (The easiest way for you to do this is using your fingers. Pretend it's oat play-dough.) Set aside.

Place apple slices in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, mix the granulated sugar, spices, and 1 Tablespoon of flour. Sprinkle this mixture to the apple slices and toss until everything is evenly coated.

In a greased baking dish, arrange the apples in an even layer.

Take the oat play-dough (in whatever amount you feel comfortable with working) and smoosh it out in your hands to about the thickness of a cookie. Lay this over the apples. Repeat with the remaining oat-play dough. The goal is to completely cover the apples. If some apples are poking up, or there are holes here or there, that's OK. If you need to "patch" thinner areas, that's OK, too.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees until the apples are soft, the crisp is brown, and you can see the juices bubbling and thickening. The time may vary depending on the size of your baking dish. (The double batch I made for the pictures took 40 minutes.) Let stand for at least 5 to 10 minutes before eating so you don't burn your mouth.


My Tips

My original recipe for this was just the crisp part. I would season the apples like I would for a pie--just "eyeball" it. Then I remembered that my cooking challenged friend probably didn't know how to do that. Adjust the seasonings to your taste. You might find that the apple part is a little too sweet for your liking.

I use firm apples that are recommended for baking such as Granny Smith or Jonathans. I have absolutely no use for Red Delicious apples. They are pretty...nasty. Apples like McIntosh are soft (and mealy) and work better for a sauce. But use what you like.

I usually lean toward using more apples, as they cook down.

Sprinkle cut apples with lemon juice to prevent browning. (I plunk them in a bowl of water with lemon juice and drain them right before I'm ready to assemble everything.)

I use "old-fashioned" oats because I prefer the texture. Use what you have. Go "nuts" and add some walnuts to the playdough.

You can serve this with ice cream if you wish. Vanilla or cinnamon would be good. Chunky-Monkey...I'm not feelin' the monkey love.

Use the crisp part with other fruit. Season whatever fruit you have like you would for a pie of that flavor. Adjust the sugar to taste. With juicier fruit, make sure you add flour (again adjusting as needed). It is what thickens the juice so you won't have soup.

P.S. There's a comment section for a reason. ;)