Caramel Apple Crisp

 Today,

the sun is shining . . . a slight breeze moves through the trees . . .  it’s crisp but barely cold.

I love the colors, the smell and the feeling of FALL.

Today,

My sweet husband made me Cheesy popcorn and Sugar glazed Kettle Corn . . . and peeled oranges. Popcorn and oranges just go together. That was breakfast. It’s the tradition on Conference Sunday. Strange but true.  I also made Nuts & Bolts . . . another crazy but addictive tradition.

Yesterday,

I made Old Fashioned Beef Stew and this spectacular Caramel Apple Crisp in a cast iron skillet.  It’s yummy and it’s gone, gone with the wind.  I made it yesterday, because I refused to cook TODAY!

Apples are falling from trees everywhere . . . so when your neighbor isn’t looking . . . grab a few . . . peel them . . . and make this Apple Crisp.  The Caramel Sauce surrounding the tart apples is delicious and a bit different from our other favorite Apple Crisp Recipes. The crumble topping is hard to stay out of. Put extra on top, so that you can keep snitching it and nobody will know.

Use Old Fashioned Oats if you have them handy in your pantry . . . they taste better than quick cooking oats.  Use a tart Apple or a mixture of two different apples.  I used Granny Smith and Braeburn. Sometimes, you simply have to take pictures at night with the lights on!  Natural light seems to vanish by six in the evening!  One day . . . I’ll invest in fancy schmancy lighting.

Note:  When you read the recipe below, it tells you to press half of the crisp/crumble into the bottom of your baking dish.  The other half is sprinkled over the top of the apple mixture.  It’s perfectly delicious just like that.  Think Bar-like.  Yesterday, I strayed from the original recipe a bit.  I didn’t press any of the crisp on the bottom of the pan . . . I used a Cast iron skillet, and only put the crisp on the top. I didn’t use quite all of it either.  It’s my favorite part, but the apples are my husbands favorite part.  Men.  The remaining crisp is tucked away in the freezer for another apple crisp in my future.  If you add the crisp only to the top, the baking time is only about 35 to 40 minutes max.  When you have a bottom crust . . . it takes much longer to bake.  You don’t want a soggy bottom crisp.  Make sure it’s crisp.  I usually lower the oven rack during the last 15 minutes of baking time when I have a bottom crisp, to ensure that it gets crisp.

Either way . . . it’s delicious.

FYI:  If you want large clusters of crisp/crumble, sitting proudly on top of your apples . . . here is the trick:  Take a handful of dough in the palm of your hand and squeeze it hard.  Now, carefully break it apart, letting large chunks fall away, on top of the apple caramel sauce mixture.  If you don’t want your crisp chunky . . . don’t squeeze it. Just do the sprinkle.

Oh.  See that Caramel Sauce and that crisp crumble!

I added a lot of Walnuts and Pecans to the top of my crisp.  We like nuts.  Almonds would be good or just plain jane would also be perfectly yummy.  My favorite part of any Apple Crisp, is the Crisp and this crisp does not disappoint.  You’ll have a hard staying out of it.  If your friend or sweet neighbor has an apple tree . . . wait until it’s dark . . . climb over their fence and pick a few.  They will probably appreciate it.  Bake an extra Apple Crisp for them . . . just in case they don’t!

My blogging lately has been SLOW.  I’ve been busy though.  We have far too many PLUMS.  Jam, jelly and  Fruit leather have taken my ovens hostage by day and by night.   I’ve pitted so many plums, and I’m afraid my hands are permanently stained. It’s not a good look!

Soon, it will all come to an abrupt end.  How do I know?

The deer have been visiting our gardens.  When I stand on my deck and stare at them . . . they just stare back.  I’m trying to coax them to the plum trees!