Delicious Home-made Apple Crisp!!!

THIS is Whitnee's FAVORITE dish, so of course you can assume I've mastered it by making it over and over. I've tried a few different types of apples but as I'm sure you're aware most just use Granny Smith apples for this because of their crisp, sweet, tanginess. Other apples might work but I haven't tried them all, I was always told I could use a mixture of granny smith, johnathons, or pipins.

Topping (Crisp):

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup panko
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

Apple Filling:

• 3-4 lbs apples, peeled and cut into 1/3″ slices (keep apples in a bowl covered with water and the juice of 1 lemon until needed for the recipe, otherwise the apples will oxidize and start turning brown.)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• juice from 1/2 of a lemon
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9″ glass or ceramic pie dish.

To a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients for the topping except the butter. Stir thoroughly. Add the small pieces of chilled butter to the seasoned oat and flour mixture. Using your fingers, a pastry cutter, or a mixer/processor work the butter into the oat mixture until the larges crumbs are about the size of a pea. (Whitnee has a processor and using a mixer or processor will make quick work of this part but I easily do with my hands.) Once the butter has been incorporated, place the topping back in the fridge to chill until ready to use. This step can be prepared several hours in advance.

To cut the apples I usually use and apple cutter and cut each piece again for a 1/3" slice, that's 16 slices per apple. Drain the apples from the lemon water. Add the drained apples and all of the other ingredients for the filling into a large bowl. Toss to evenly combine all ingredients.

Pour the filling into a 3 quart butter pie dish. Evenly distribute the chilled topping over the filling. Place the crisp into the middle of a preheated 350 degree oven with a sheet pan underneath to catch any juices that may dribble out. Bake at 350 for about 1 hour, or until the topping is golden brown and the apples are tender when pierced with a knife or fork. Remove the crisp from the oven and place on a rack to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!