Friday, October 21, 2005

Apple crisp

My mom called from Connecticut a few weeks ago to say she was making her first apple crisp of the season. Wouldn't it be great if we could teleport? Best of both worlds: California and Mom's apple crisp. Of course, the technology would be appropriated by Silicon Valley and I wouldn't be able to afford it. And then you'd have the porous border problem. Maybe jetpacks.

This is an apple crisp worth traveling for. No Cali-hippie granola topping, more like a sweet biscuity crust drizzled with butter and cinnamon. It was my grandma Mary's recipe, clipped from a 1940s women's magazine. I found the original copy in a ziplock bag a couple of months before she died
. The paper feels like worn silk and barely holds together, but I like keeping it in the bag with the others, the ones that became family standards, and the ones she set aside for some future day. "Your grandma Rose was the good cook," she'd say. But this is the recipe I make most.

With an old-fashioned apple peeper/corer, you can get it prepped in about 20 minutes. Bake it while you eat dinner, then serve hot with poured cream or vanilla ice cream.

Mary Q's Apple Crisp

1 dozen apples, peeled and sliced 1/3 inch thick (I like to mix Braeburns and Granny Smiths)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
10 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°. Melt butter over low heat; set aside.

Mix dry ingredients in bowl. Drop in eggs and mix with a fork until crumbly (the mixture will look like streusel).

Spread sliced apples in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Distribute topping over apples, then drizzle with butter. Sprinkle cinnamon to cover. Bake 45 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and filling bubbles.

14 comments:

Mona said...

Perfect timing, I just went apple picking with my mom. She makes the Ina Garten apple crisp version but I'm always looking for alternatives. I can't wait to try this! Thanks AMY!

Anonymous said...

MMMMMMM it's fall and I love Apple crisp and apple pie.

kmtaylor said...

Awesome! I was just looking for an fall dessert recipe!

I'm loving your blog. I'm a native San Franciscan attending film school out here in New York. How I miss my hometown! But the East Coast is so gorgeous this time of year...

I used to live in the Mission and frequented most of the regular eats there; Pak Wan, TiCouz, and that fabulous Indian place on Valencia and 20th that is just amazing. But what turned out to be my fave meal on a recent trip back to San Fran? That would have to be Liverpool Lil's over on Lyon and Union. Some of the best scampi I've ever had, EVER. You must try!

Anonymous said...

congrats,
you writing style is very nice. i am a new writer . keep it up.see you.

Unknown said...

Hmmmmm Looks nice I might just try it!

Joaquin Mattison said...

Now THAT sounds good!!! I'll probably make some, thnks. If you want a good lemon chicken recipe, check out my blog at coffeeandstockblog.blogspot.com

Bailama Pessima said...

Hi amy I like your blog a lot. If you get time go maddengeneration.blogspot.com

Melissa said...

Christ on a bicycle but that sounds fantastic!

Off to the market now for some fresh apples.

Thanks.

chuck said...

I'm off to get the "a la mode"...and I know what rich brand of vanilla ice cream I will buy...but I'm not plugging ice cream, so I will keep the brand name to myself...

Anonymous said...

I like eating.

Amy Traverso said...

Hey, thanks ATN for the restaurant recs.

I'm glad that the recipe tempted some folks to give it a try. Did you like it? I'm hardly objective; lots of happy memories tied up in that one.

Amy Traverso said...

Cosa vuoi dire?

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a cool recipe..can't wait to try

Jen said...

Just had to say, I made this apple crisp for my husband and I last Friday, and we love it! I did make one modification - as a border-line diabetic, I substituted Splenda for part of the sugar. As far as I can tell, it didn't adversely affect the results.

This makes a plentiful batch of apple crisp, and the topping is a nice change from the sometimes overly cinnamon-y style that some recipes call for.

Thanks for sharing Mary Q's Apple Crisp with us - this one is staying in my recipe files!