I have always loved getting apples right from the tree. Fresh, juicy, crisp and delicious – nothing quite compares. Sweet, tart, or mellow, they’re all wonderful in their own ways, and I doubt I will ever lose my love of the apple. Sadly, I don’t have the space to grow apple trees myself, but I’m lucky enough to have a grandfather with a small apple orchard.

First of all, here is my family recipe for Apple Crisp. Macintosh are perfect for this, or granny smith if you want some zing.

4 ½ – 5 cups peeled and sliced apples.

1 ¼ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

¼ cup water

¾ cup flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup butter, with extra for buttering the baking dish.

Preheat oven to 350*F. Fully butter a 10x6x2 inch baking dish [glass works well]. Place sliced apples in a large bowl and sprinkle 1 tsp of cinnamon and ½ tsp salt over the top, then mix together by rubbing between hands. Pour apple mixture into the buttered baking dish and distribute evenly, then pour ¼ cup of water over top. In a separate bowl, mix 1 cup of granulated sugar and ¾ cup flour. Then, using a fork or pastry cutter, cut 1/3 cup of butter into the flour and sugar mixture. Evenly shake the flour mixture over the top of the apples and top with remaining cinnamon. Bake at 350* for 40 minutes, then let cool in the dish for 20 minutes before serving. Best served warm, with whipped cream or ice cream.

Now here are some pictures of the process to help you all along in your quest for the perfect apple crisp! [All text refers to the picture BELOW it.]

Be sure to keep your recipe handy, and to follow the directions carefully. Luckily for all of you, I translated my old family recipe into something that hopefully makes sense to someone other than me.

Whenever you’re cooking, be sure to gather all of your ingredients together before you start. This prevents that “oh no!” moment when you realize you don’t have enough sugar, after you’ve already started mixing other ingredients.

Don’t forget to butter your dish, or you may wind up with some unfortunately blackened apples at the bottom of your crisp. We all want to avoid that, don’t we?

Since you’re peeling the apples anyway, why not have a little fun with them like I did? You can save the peels to snack on [They're the most nutritious part!], add them to your compost heap, or chop them into small pieces and leave them as a treat for birds and squirrels in your back yard.

Sprinkle the cinnamon and salt over the apples evenly, before mixing everything together with your hands. I know that using hands to mix may seem a bit odd to most people, especially those of you who only cook or bake occasionally, and how strong memories of a Culinary Arts teacher yelling at you to keep your fingers out of the bowl. Mixing with your hands is actually the best option here, because most utensils can crush and bruise your apples, without properly mixing in the cinnamon and salt. Just be sure your hands are nice and clean before you start!

Spread the apples evenly in your baking dish, for an even baking rate, then pour the water over them.

Cut butter into the flour and sugar mixture with a fork [or pastry cutter, if you prefer] until the whole mixture is crumbly and well mixed. Then shake the topping over the apples, in an even layer, and top with remaining ¼ tsp of cinnamon.

Bake the crisp for 40 minutes at 350*F, then cool for 20 minutes before serving. It’s delicious when served warm with whipped cream or ice cream. Then you can just serve everything up to your eagerly waiting family and friends, or you can keep it all to yourself. Just be sure to hide it well!

It stores best when sealed in airtight containers and kept refrigerated. It re-heats quite well, and even if the crisp topping tends to become a bit soggy it still tastes delicious!

I’ve only included the very basic recipe for apple crisp, but don’t let the original recipe tie you down. This desert is especially good for trying interesting add-ins with, so feel free to experiment. My mother loves to mix in ½ cup of raisins and ¼ of walnuts with the apples, but I’m personally fond of using sliced pecans and dried cranberries!