by Adam Nichols
Hello, hungry reader, and welcome to the crisis-baking column! Here I personally tailor recipes to serve a single distressed, depressed, or otherwise baking-inept liberal arts student, keeping accessibility of ingredients, number of dishes, and overall prep time in mind to give you a relatively easy, and hopefully delicious, baking experience. Non-students and those with more baking prowess are, of course, also welcome.
Fall is arguably the best time for baking as apples are in season. The best time to pick them up from a local farm or grocery store is coming to a close, so make sure you give yourself the chance to partake in some apple crisp before they stop tasting as good.
Certain apples are dubbed “baking apples” based on how their properties change when they are exposed to high temperatures. Honeycrisp, Fuji, Granny Smith, and Gala are among the most commonly used apples for pies, tarts, or any baked good that involves chopped or sliced apples because they stay firm enough to not turn into mush during the cooking process. Often a thickening agent like cornstarch is used in apple fillings as well, to absorb excess moisture and prevent apples from getting too soggy in the oven. For apple crisp, Granny Smith and Honeycrisp are the most ideal varieties, but you can use whatever apples you have on hand. Just never use Red Delicious, unless you happen to be baking for someone you hate.
Single Serving Apple Crisp
Approximate time: 30 minutes
You will need:
A small oven-safe bowl (an 8-ounce ramekin works great)
A knife and a cutting board
Measuring spoons
A small mixing bowl
A fork or spoon
A baking sheet
Filling Ingredients:
1 apple, peeled and chopped into ¼ – ½ inch pieces
1 teaspoon of cornstarch OR all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar
Topping Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of uncooked rolled oats – optional, but highly recommended
2 teaspoons of all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
2 tablespoons of butter, melted
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare your apple filling by peeling and slicing the apple (if you cut them too small, they will turn into mush during baking, so try to keep them about half an inch wide). Add your cornstarch or flour and cinnamon sugar to the apple chunks and toss them with your hands or a utensil until they’re evenly coated, then set them into your oven-safe bowl. You do not need to grease the dish.
- In your mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, oats, flour, cinnamon and melted butter and mix until you reach a uniform consistency, similar to wet sand. Gently sprinkle the topping over the apples – do not pack it down. Try to evenly cover the whole surface.
- Set your crisp on the baking sheet, and put it in the oven to bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Overall baking time can depend on your personal taste; if you want softer apples, bake slightly longer. If you aren’t sure when to take it out, look at the edges of the dish – if the mixture is bubbling slightly, it’s done.
*This is my obligatory “please-wait-until-your-dish-has-cooled-to-start-eating” statement, but I am of course also guilty of scalding my poor taste buds on fresh baked goods. For legal reasons I do not condone this.
Apple crisp is great on its own, but you can also bring it to another level with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. Enjoy your autumn baking!
