Apple-Cranberry Crisp

Ahhhhh....now I know what you’re probably thinking.  Apple crisp!?  Why would I pick something as easy as apple crisp?  Well, I’ll tell you why....because I love apple crisp.  So like it, or lump it!

Now, everyone has their own spin on apple crisp, and I’m no different.  I like to change it up, which is mostly dictated by why I have in the pantry at the time.  However, one ingredient I do really enjoy adding is dried sweetened cranberries.  I really think their tartness nicely counterbalances the sweet, syrupy deliciousness of the apples, sugar and cinnamon.

But we cannot talk about apple crisp without talking about why it’s called “crisp”...the crunchy, buttery, sweet topping that conceals the ooey gooey, warmly spiced decadence of perfectly baked apples. Drool... 

And nothing accompanies fresh out-of-the-oven apple crisp quite like good old fashioned vanilla ice cream.  And because I rarely stop at just “good enough”, I decided to try topping the crisp and ice cream with maple agave syrup (see my last post to hear me wax off about my love of all things maple..). 

The apple crisp was delicious, the ice cream was the perfect accompaniment, and the maple agave topped the whole thing off beautifully.  I highly recommend maple agave syrup as a delicious alternative to caramel sauce!

Apple-Cranberry Crisp

5-6 medium-sized apples, peeled and cut into ½ inch slices

2-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup dried cranberries

3-4 tablespoons lemon juice

3-4 tablespoons of cold butter, cut into cubes

Crisp Topping

1 cup instant oatmeal

½ cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of salt

½ cup butter, melted

Directions

• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Make crumble. Mix oatmeal, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt together in medium bowl.  Add melted butter by drizzling across top of mixture.  Blend together with a fork until blended into a crumbly consistency.  Set aside.
• Peel and cut apples. Place into large bowl.  Add flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, cranberries and lemon juice.  Toss together until ingredients are mixed and apples are well coated.
• In a buttered 9”x9” baking dish (or 9” round baking dish), place apple mixture and spread to edges of baking dish.  Distribute cubed cold butter on top of apples.
• Sprinkle apples with crumble mixture until all of apples are covered.
• Bake for 45-60 minutes, until a knife inserted in the middle easily pierces the apples.
• Let sit for 15-20 minutes before serving.
• Serve warm with ice cream and agave syrup (or however you like best). Enjoy the amazingness.

I hope you’ll enjoy making this apple-cranberry crisp, and maybe even take some liberties of your own! 

Bake, Batter, and Roll!