Apple crisp for two!

Am I the only weird one out there who likes to eat just the filling of an apple pie and throws away the crust? I know what you are thinking, that's unheard of indeed.. I mean, who does not like the moist, flaky, buttery crust! Well, me. And precisely for the same reasons.. its flaky, too buttery and way overpowers (in my opinion) the flavors of freshly baked apples with cinnamon, nutmeg and a dash of sugar!

Which is why I love this apple crisp so much! Remember that Seinfeld episode where Elaine's boss steals her idea of selling just the top of the muffins instead of whole muffins as she reasons people like to eat only the top anyway? Apple crisp is something like that for me.. its my perfect 'top of the muffins for me'! 

Bad analogy, never-mind, coming back to the apple crisp: it is a baked dessert with just the apple pie filling without the crust. Instead of a crust, it has a topping which is mostly made up of rolled oats, sugar and a little butter and since its a topping rather than a crust (topping need not be strong enough to hold the pie) its much more flexible to a lot of new variations and experimentations for people like me who don't prefer the standard heavy crusts.

So how do you make an apple crisp? You prepare the filling like you would for a traditional apple pie recipe. Grease a baking dish and arrange the apple slices in even layers. Then top with a topping of your choice. Traditionally you would make a topping out of some rolled oats, AP flour, butter, sugar and spices. Top as much or as little as you would like. Bake until the top is crispy and brown and enjoy with some cold ice cream or some whipped cream (or just as is with side of some fresh fruit as I did)

Its a delicious dessert with a lot of apple goodness without the heavy crust. You can also lighten the topping for the health conscious ones. Unlike an apple pie which will make a minimum of 6 or 8 serving dish, this crisp can be easily adjusted in quantity making it a perfect easy dessert for two!

I made this apple crisp for two as a sweet welcoming treat with one of the first ever meals I cooked in our new kitchen! It was delicious! Even here, I managed to throw away some of the topping, but then, thats just me :)

Recipe:

Source: adapted from this Joy of Baking recipe

Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients:

Topping:

1Tbsp sugar

2Tbsp soft/room temperature butter

2.5Tbsp rolled oats (not quick cooking)

1.5Tbsp all purpose flour

pinch of cinnamon

dash of nutmeg

Filling:

1 crisp apple (any baking apple would do)

1Tbsp brown sugar

1tsp lemon juice

pinch of cinnamon

Recipe:

1. Pre-heat oven to 380F
2. Mix all the topping ingredients and using your hand or food processor mix them well. (It really helps the mixing process if the butter is soft at room temperature) Set aside
3. Cut the apple into thin slices (same as you would cut for an apple pie).
4. Add rest of the filling ingredients to the apple slices and mix well.
5. Lightly grease a small 6" square baking pan or a small glass baking dish.
6. Arrange the apple slices at the bottom in a one or two even layers.
7. Spread the topping evenly over the apples. Press slightly using your hands.
8. Bake at 380F for 40-45mins or until the outer layer looks slightly brownish and crisp.
9. Remove from heat. Serve with some cold ice cream or whipped cream or just some fresh fruit.

Note: Next time I might experiment with reducing the butter and add a bit of an applesauce instead in the topping. More applish flavor and less buttery texture.

The sugar and the butter quantities are adapted to my palette which is not much sweet and very less buttery. If you like the dessert on a much a sweeter note, please check the proportions in the original recipe listed in source above.