Monday Menu: A Fall Favorite

Since I discovered using a cast-iron skillet method for making apple crisp, that’s been my go-to. Cooking the apple mixture on the stove changes everything.  The apple mixture has time to become soft and syrupy before adding the topping and baking at a higher temperature.

And this week I had a few apples I needed to use before they went bad. I think I made one of my best apple crisps.

Here’s what I added to the recipe below: caramel sauce spread liberally over the cooked apples before I added the crisp.  I also grabbed the jar of pumpkin spice and added about two teaspoons worth while cooking the apple mixture.

Cast Iron Apple Crisp

• 2 lbs apples – mix of sweet and tart (about 3 apples)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• dash of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to taste

Topping:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar (more as desired)
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 cup flour
• apple pie or pumpkin spice mix (optional – I use a lot of it)

10-inch cast iron skillet and small mixing bowl

Core and cut apples into small pieces (about 1/2 inch). Peeling is optional, but with this method the peels cook nice and soft, so it isn’t necessary.

Melt butter in skillet, add apples and sugar, stir until apples are well coated. Cover and cook on medium heat until apple mixture is soft and caramelized, stirring occasionally. About 20-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

In mixing bowl, stir together butter, sugar, flour, and oats, and mix until crumbly. Crumble over the apple mixture. Bake for 10-15 minutes, just until the top is crispy golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes and serve warm.

What makes this so good is that because the apples are cooked on the stovetop, you can use a much higher heat in the oven and get a good, crisp top without drying the whole mixture out or undercooking the apples.

Alternately, if you don’t have an oven-proof skillet, you can transfer the cooked apple mixture to a glass baking dish, add topping and bake that way. I do that often because my glass dish has a tight lid for storing the leftover crisp.