Recipe for Extra-Crispy Apple Crisp

The perfect combination for apple crisp, barely sweet, perfectly soft apples with an extra-crispy and flavor-rich topping.

The Fall Classic, Just Extra-Crispy. Budget-Friendly. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special.

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The Goal: My Very Own Perfect Apple Crisp

Over the years, I've eaten (and baked) too-many so-so apple crisps. So I set out to create my very own "perfect" recipe: barely sweet apples firm and tart, topped with an extra-crispy topping. That extra-crispy topping? It's thanks to a secret ingredient!

How one makes a bad apple crisp is beyond me. What can go wrong with apples and butter, cinnamon and nuts? Trouble is, there's just so much that can go wrong with this simple classic. The culprits are:

• The Sugar Too often, apple crisp is just way too sweet, masking the sweet seduction of the apples themselves. THE FIX Way less sugar and brown sugar for a flavor boost.


• The Apples Some apples melt into something cousin to apple sauce. Other apples are just too sweet for apple crisp. THE FIX For both texture and tartness, apple variety matters. Start with half Granny Smith apples, then use another baking apple.


• The Topping Ever heard of Apple Sog? That's what I call too-soft and too-sweet toppings that turn apple crisp into Apple Soggy and something more like granola (too much oatmeal) or cake (too much flour) or a layer of frosting (too much sugar). THE FIX A 1:1:1:1 mix of oats:flour:nuts plus the secret ingredient, graham cracker crumbs.

The Secret Ingredient? Graham Cracker Crumbs

At last, I've found what to my taste, anyway, is the perfect combination for apple crisp, barely sweet, perfectly soft apples with an extra-crispy and flavor-rich topping.

That topping is thanks to an unusual ingredient for apple crisp, graham cracker crumbs. Yeah, the same crumbs used in graham cracker crusts like My Favorite Graham Cracker Crust.

So what do you think of my secret ingredient for apple crisp, graham cracker crumbs? Will you give it a try?!

At these things go, the discovery arrived as happenstance.

The first time, graham cracker crumbs filled in for flour, just because I was short. But the sweet crumbs added such a great texture, such a nutty sweetness, that I've been adding them to apple crisp on purpose ever since!

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RECIPE for EXTRA-CRISPY APPLE CRISP

Hands-on time: 35 minutes
Time to table: 90 minutes
Serves 8 (easy to halve)

APPLES
• Juice of two lemons, about 4 tablespoons
• 1/4 cup (50g) brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 6 large apples (see TIPS), peeled, quartered, "thirded" and "thirded" again

TOPPING
• 1/2 cup (62g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (the secret ingredient!)
• 1/2 cup oatmeal (old-fashioned or quick, not instant)
• 1/2 cup walnuts (see TIPS)
• 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt (omit if using salted butter)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick/8T/112g) butter, cold or at room temperature

Heat oven to 375F/190C.

APPLES In a large bowl, stir together all the ingredients except apples. Drop in the apple pieces as they're prepped, stirring often so that each piece is lightly covered.

TOPPING In a separate bowl, stir together all the ingredients except the butter. With your hands, work in the butter until small even clumps begin to form.

ASSEMBLE Lightly butter a shallow baking dish such as a quiche pan or pie pan. Transfer apples into the dish, then top evenly with the topping. (If making ahead of time, stop here and let rest for 3 - 4 hours.)

BAKE Bake for 50 - 60 minutes, covering with foil or a baking sheet for the last 15 minutes if the topping starts to get a little dark. Let cool a bit.

SERVE Serve warm, plain or dolloped with whipped cream. Just whip a cup of heavy cream with a tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and a 1/2 teaspoon of black walnut extract or vanilla.

ALANNA's TIPS I start with half Granny Smith apples which are tart and hold their shape. For a contrasting sweetness and softness, I use another baking apple such as a Braeburn or Gala. Black walnuts are spectacular paired with apples. Too bad, however, they're not so easy to find, my best sources are Sam's Club and Walmart! If using English walnuts or pecans or even almonds, be sure to toast them first. You can do this easily by slipping them into the oven as it preheats.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Serving: 372 Calories; 16g Tot Fat; 8g Sat Fat; 30mg Cholesterol; 188mg Sodium; 54g Carb; 4g Fiber; 37g Sugar; 5g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 8 & PointsPlus 10 & SmartPoints 17 & Freestyle 13 & myWW green 17 & blue 13 & purple 12

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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