Dutch Oven Apple Crisp

I am here, right where you left me. I haven't moved an inch, other than to take Sailor to her voice lesson and run by the grocery store for a few eggs. Eggs. Remember on Sunday when I wrote that I was leaving in the morning to Oregon to tour an egg farm? It turns out I was a whole week early. Thankfully I discovered my error early enough to avoid a trip to the airport. But please excuse me while I wipe a little egg (ha!) off my face. Did you know that I make dozens, maybe even hundreds, of little mistakes every day? If you didn't know, then I'm telling you now. I hope you'll love me anyway, flawed as I am. If you want a good laugh and a hearty helping of self deprecating humor, then I'm your gal.

A couple of weekends ago, we packed up a late afternoon picnic and headed up to the mountains with my parents, and my sisters Heidi and Mary Kate with their families, 11 charges total. Kids + dirt +rocks = everlasting happiness. We noshed on chips and dips, sandwiches, and s'mores, but the Quiet Man got it into his head that he wanted to make something in the Dutch Oven. I'll never ever ever tell you this since it would be bragging, but that husband of mine is pretty amazing with a Dutch Oven. (He inherited this outdoorsman skill from his Dad, the Quiet Grandpa.) Since fall is coming (three more days, officially) it had to be an apple crisp. Now, you can make this toothsome treat in your oven and it will be every bit as tasty, but there is something especially-special about making food out in nature. So go out and have a fall picnic, would you? Just tell me when to be there. You better write it down twice, because I've been know to confuse a date. Or two. But I hope you'll love me anyway.

Money Saving Tips:

Do you have a pick your own orchard? Head over and stock up. I buy apples in bulk for tuppins in the fall-they keep for at least a couple of months in a cool place.
Dutch Oven (or not) Apple Crisp

adapted from Joy of Cooking

Estimated Cost: $3.00 for 8 servings

8 apples, peeled (I like Golden Delicious and Granny Smith's for baking)

3 tablespoons sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

3/4 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, softened
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a nine by thirteen dish. (If using a Dutch Oven, do not grease. Light 24 charcoal briquettes and wait until they are covered with ash, about 15 minutes.) Layer apples in pan and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and oats. Blend in 1/2 cup softened butter with fingertips, just to evenly distribute. (It's Ok to have some pea-sized clumps.) Cut remaining 2 tablespoons butter in pieces and dot the top of the apple crisp. Bake in oven for 50 minutes, or until apples are bubbly and topping is browned. (If using Dutch oven, bake for 20-25 minutes.) Serve with vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of cream. Delicious!

Next Up:

Easy Pasta Pommodoro

Golden Delicious Apple Raspberry Crisp

Yesterday's comment section got a little, um... feisty. I just want to say that I love the lovers and I love the haters. I hope we can all love each other. Because what the world needs now is love, sweet love. And apple crisp, preferably with a brown sugar oaty topping, and maybe a few raspberries sprinkled in.

You're in luck, because today is Tuesdays with Dorie, and I've got some apple crisp to share that fits your parameters exactly. Isn't that a lucky coincidence? Now there will be peace. Ohm.

I used my own recipe here even though Dorie's apple crisp was the TWD assignment. I love the recipe that I already have and I must make it at least once a year. It's fast. It's easy. It's cheap. It's divine. It's yours, tonight if you'll give it a try.

Money Saving Tips: Use any baking apple that you can find on sale. Granny Smith or Honey crisp would work well here. Use fresh or frozen raspberries, or cranberries if you've got them. You could also leave them out. Watch for butter to go dirt cheap over the next few weeks as stores try to lure in Thanksgiving shoppers. This would be a great alternative to pie for Thanksgiving, especially since you wouldn't have to make a crust.

Some pics: Mix the fruit in the dish.

Top it with streusel and it's ready to go. It's good. Oh yeah, it's good.

Golden Delicious and Raspberry Apple Crisp

Estimated Cost: $6.00

2 pounds Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, sliced (about 4 large apples)

3/4 cup raspberries (I used frozen)

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup old fashioned oatmeal

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces

Butter a 9 inch square baking dish. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put apples, raspberries and sugar right into the prepared baking dish and stir them around. In a separate medium bowl, combine oats, flour, brown and cinnamon. Rub in butter with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Bake until mixture is bubbly and topping is browned, about 40 minutes.

One last thing before you go. It's time for me to again humbly ask you to vote for my French's recipe. I've made it to the semi finals, along with 20 other recipes. 5 of us will make the cut and be invited to the spring Cook-Off in NYC and be eligible for a shot at the $25,000 prize. But I need your help. Just click here and vote for lucky number seven, that's me. You can vote every day until November 25th. Thank you so much, good and kind readers.

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