Kicked Up Apple Crisp

I’m of Indian origin, and I like spices. For most American recipes, I generally double, triple or quadruple the amount of spices specified. Most people don’t, spices are expensive, and they don’t know which spice blends well with others. The below recipe is, IMHO, what a proper apple crisp should taste like. If you don’t like spices, simply omit them, or minimally use 1/2 tsp cinnamon only.

This is my original recipe. Enjoy!

Note: Always use McCormick spices for best flavors. Yes, it is worth the money, and yes, it makes a difference. If you can’t afford McCormick, just omit the spices altogether. Bad spices will really mar the flavor of your baking, and totally undermine the work you put into your meal.

This is a one dish (the pyrex brownie pan) and one bowl (for the dry ingredients) recipe. No measuring cup or anything to clean, just use a big tablespoon and a knife to cut the butter. Spices are not measured either, just sprinkle evenly straight from the bottle.

Important: do not substitute other apple types for the granny smith apples. Yes, it makes a difference. Granny smith apples are preferred in baking because they don’t get mushy when you bake them. See picture of the apples at right, fork cut after baking:

Also, granny smith apples are tart, so if you sub in something else, the sugar content will have to be adjusted. I like the blend of sweet and sour and spicy the granny smith apples provide. It makes the dessert feel less sweet (and easier to finish a whole pan by yourself!)

Yield: One 8×8 brownie pan full.

Ingredients:

FILLING:

2 granny smith apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
1 tsp ginger, ground
1/2 tsp allspice, ground
1/4 tsp clove, ground
1/4 stick butter, softened
1/4 tsp lemon juice (fresh!)

TOPPING:

4 big tablespoons all purpose flour
6 big tablespoons quaker oats
1 stick butter, softened
1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Line up sliced apples in bottom of pyrex pan. One layer is sufficient. Eat any extras. You will generally use 1.5 large granny smith apples for the one layer, or 2 small granny smith apples.
2. Squeeze lemon juice over the apples.
3. Sprinkle spices over the apples.
4. Dot butter over the apples.
5. It should look like this:
6. Now mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Use your hands and smush it all together. When it is all mixed well, and there isn’t any loose flour or oatmeal wandering around, you are done. It should look like this (you can see the tablespoon I used to measure the flour and oatmeal in the picture too):
7. Now lay the flour mixture over the apples in the pan in a nice even layer. It won’t be perfect. It doesn’t matter. In the oven, it’ll mix and ooze deliciously regardless. It looks like this before you put it in the oven:
8. Bake 375 F for 25 min. It will ooze and bubble deliciously.
9. Enjoy hot out of the oven. Tastes great covered with whipping cream (liquid or whipped), ice cream, or yogurt, drizzled with caramel sauce.
10. Enjoy!

This dessert is super fast and super easy, it takes 15 minutes to put together.

Bake it just as you and your family are sitting down to dinner, and by the time you finish, a nice hot dessert will be ready for you!

I love serving this to guests and to family for the holidays, or bringing it to a potluck. If you omit the spices, the apple crisp still tastes good, and becomes a very economical option for gifting. Yum yum yum! Enjoy!

Maryetta’s Oatmeal Bread

I just want the one loaf, so I’m making a third of the original recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/3 c boiling water
1 c rolled oats
2 c all purpose flour (maybe a 1/2 c or so more)
2 tsp yeast
1.5 tsp salt
3 tsp oil
3 tbsp molasses

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pour boiling water over oatmeal in large bowl. Leave to cool.
2. Add 1/2 c flour and yeast.
3. LET RISE uncovered until doubled in bulk.
4. Punch down and add salt, oil, molasses, and remaining flour for stiff dough.
5. Knead for 10 min to make a smooth, pliable, firm dough. DO not knead too much.
6. Form dough into loaves. Place into buttered 9 x 5 x 3 in loaf tin. (I used a metal nonstick pan)
7. LET RISE uncovered until doubled in bulk.
8. Bake 350 F for 40-60 min. (Mine was done in 40 min)
9. Cool completely before slicing.
10. Enjoy!

 

Oatmeal Bread with Cooked Oatmeal

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup coarse rolled oats
1 cup boiling water
2 packages active dry yeast
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup warm water (100 to 115 degrees approximately)
1 cup warm milk
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 dark brown sugar
4-5 cups all-purpose flour, approximately.

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the oats in the boiling water until thickened, about 3 minutes. Pour into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool to lukewarm. Meanwhile, stir the yeast and teaspoon of sugar into the warm water until dissolved, and allow to proof. Add the warm milk, salt, brown sugar, and yeast mixture to the oats and stir well, then stir in 4 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time.

Turn out on a floured board. Knead into a smooth pliable, elastic dough, if necessary using as much as 1/2 to 1 cup, or more, of additional flour to get it to the right feel. (This will take about 10 minutes, unless you do it in an electric mixer with a dough hook, which is what my wife did). Shape the dough into a ball, put into a well-buttered bowl, and turn to coat on all sides. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Punch the dough down. Knead for 2 or 3 minutes and shape into two loaves. Thoroughly butter two 8 x 4 x 2-inch tins. Place the dough in the tins, cover, and let rise in a warm place until about even with the top of the tins, or almost doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, place the bread in the center of the lowest rack, and bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, until the loaves sound hollow when tapped on top and bottom with the knuckles. Return the loaves without the tins to the oven rack to bake for about 5 minutes and acquire a firmer crust. Remove the loaves to a rack to cool.

Note: If you want a very soft top crust, brush the loaves with melted butter when you bring them out of the oven.

Apple Crisp

Apple Crisp
adapted from Pillsbury’s “The Complete Book of Baking”
Yield: 12 (1/2 c) servings

Apple Mixture:

6 c sliced apples (usu 3 Granny Smith)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp water
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 c sugar

Topping:

1 c rolled oats
1 c all purpose flour
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c butter, softened

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Mix apple mixture together in bowl.
3. Mix topping mixture together in second bowl.
4. Place apple mixture in ungreased 8 x 8 pyrex (brownie pan).
5. Top with topping mixture.
6. Bake 375 F for 25-35 min.
7. Enjoy with whipping cream or ice cream.

NOTE: Can also use sliced peeled peaches or blueberries for the apples.

Oatmeal Cookies

2 eggs

1 c sugar

1.5 c oatmeal or rolled oats

2/3 c coconut

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp butter

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar.

Add well beaten eggs.

Add remainder ingredients.

Drop on well greased baking pan.

Bake in moderate oven for 15-20 min.

Oatmeal Bread

1 c rolled oats

3.5 c boiling water

1/2 c molasses

1 yeast cake

pinch salt

Directions:

Let oats and water stand until cool.

Add molasses, salt and yeast which has been dissolved in cold water.

Stir in flour to make a stiff dough.

Let rise over night.

In the morning, stir it down and let it rise again.

Mold into loaves and let it rise again.

Bake 45 min in a moderate oven.

This will make 3 small loaves.