Super Apple Crisp

I love to bake desserts, mostly because I love to eat desserts. In autumn I go to the orchard with my family and pick lots of apples with dreams of all the delicious things I'll make with them. Apple crisp is at the top of the list!

It's not autumn but I still want apple crisp. I found bruised apples on clearance and used some to make apple sauce for my boy with the broken jaw. I still had so many apples left and desire for that streusel topping started calling to me. 

This recipe has plenty of butter & sugar to make it wonderful and a few healthy things to help me justify eating so much.

Apple Crisp
adapted from Taste of Home June/July 1999 and Joy the Baker Cookbook

Filling
8-10 tart medium apples, peeled & sliced
1/4 cup turbinado sugar (white sugar is ok too)
3 t. cinnamon

Streusel Topping
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups turbinado sugar
1 1/2 cups quick rolled oats
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 T. flaxmeal
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. all spice
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a large 9x13 baking dish with butter. Slice up your apples quickly in a food processor or by hand and place in the pan. Mix in the sugar and cinnamon with the apples until evenly coated. Set the apples aside and mix the topping in a large bowl.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, oats, wheat germ, flaxmeal, cinnamon & all spice. Work the softened butter into the dry ingredients by hand until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Remove one cup and mix it into the apples with your hands or a spoon to incorporate.

Spoon the rest of the topping over the apples and spread evenly. Bake 55 to 60 minutes until the topping is toasted and the apples are bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool slightly before you start eating. Scoop into bowls and top with vanilla ice cream.

 Enjoy!