Apple crisp for two!

Am I the only weird one out there who likes to eat just the filling of an apple pie and throws away the crust? I know what you are thinking, that's unheard of indeed.. I mean, who does not like the moist, flaky, buttery crust! Well, me. And precisely for the same reasons.. its flaky, too buttery and way overpowers (in my opinion) the flavors of freshly baked apples with cinnamon, nutmeg and a dash of sugar!

Which is why I love this apple crisp so much! Remember that Seinfeld episode where Elaine's boss steals her idea of selling just the top of the muffins instead of whole muffins as she reasons people like to eat only the top anyway? Apple crisp is something like that for me.. its my perfect 'top of the muffins for me'! 

Bad analogy, never-mind, coming back to the apple crisp: it is a baked dessert with just the apple pie filling without the crust. Instead of a crust, it has a topping which is mostly made up of rolled oats, sugar and a little butter and since its a topping rather than a crust (topping need not be strong enough to hold the pie) its much more flexible to a lot of new variations and experimentations for people like me who don't prefer the standard heavy crusts.
So how do you make an apple crisp? You prepare the filling like you would for a traditional apple pie recipe. Grease a baking dish and arrange the apple slices in even layers. Then top with a topping of your choice. Traditionally you would make a topping out of some rolled oats, AP flour, butter, sugar and spices. Top as much or as little as you would like. Bake until the top is crispy and brown and enjoy with some cold ice cream or some whipped cream (or just as is with side of some fresh fruit as I did)

Its a delicious dessert with a lot of apple goodness without the heavy crust. You can also lighten the topping for the health conscious ones. Unlike an apple pie which will make a minimum of 6 or 8 serving dish, this crisp can be easily adjusted in quantity making it a perfect easy dessert for two!

I made this apple crisp for two as a sweet welcoming treat with one of the first ever meals I cooked in our new kitchen! It was delicious! Even here, I managed to throw away some of the topping, but then, thats just me :)

Recipe:
Source: adapted from this Joy of Baking recipe
Makes 2 servings.
Ingredients:
Topping:
1Tbsp sugar

2Tbsp soft/room temperature butter
2.5Tbsp rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1.5Tbsp all purpose flour
pinch of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg


Filling:
1 crisp apple (any baking apple would do)
1Tbsp brown sugar
1tsp lemon juice
pinch of cinnamon

Recipe:
  1. Pre-heat oven to 380F
  2. Mix all the topping ingredients and using your hand or food processor mix them well. (It really helps the mixing process if the butter is soft at room temperature) Set aside
  3. Cut the apple into thin slices (same as you would cut for an apple pie).
  4. Add rest of the filling ingredients to the apple slices and mix well.
  5. Lightly grease a small 6" square baking pan or a small glass baking dish.
  6. Arrange the apple slices at the bottom in a one or two even layers.
  7. Spread the topping evenly over the apples. Press slightly using your hands.
  8. Bake at 380F for 40-45mins or until the outer layer looks slightly brownish and crisp.
  9. Remove from heat. Serve with some cold ice cream or whipped cream or just some fresh fruit.

Note: Next time I might experiment with reducing the butter and add a bit of an applesauce instead in the topping. More applish flavor and less buttery texture.

The sugar and the butter quantities are adapted to my palette which is not much sweet and very less buttery. If you like the dessert on a much a sweeter note, please check the proportions in the original recipe listed in source above.

Comments

wow thats an awesome crumble.... apples look so perfectly done..well we love the pie crust tooo..
Sonia said…
It may have taste close to apple crumble..no? I love apple crumble with sprinkling the vanilla custard on top it. oh..yum..yum! I have been meaning to post the apple crumble (with oats) recipe.
This applish crust looks so good. Lovely click! :)
Sonia said…
It may have a taste close to apple crumble..no? I love apple crumble with sprinkling the vanilla custard on top it. oh..yum..yum! I have been meaning to post the apple crumble (with oats) recipe.
This applish crust looks so good. Lovely click! :)
indosungod said…
Lovely and tasty.
It is perfectly perfect for the non-carb folks.
ohhhh i always love it and my sons very fav one too ... Yumm PJ.. loved the click too. I love this to have with yummy vanilla icecream or vanilla yoghurt too..
PJ said…
AdukulaVishesham, thanks! So glad you liked the apple crisp. I know, pretty much everyone except me loves the crust too :)

Sonia, you know, i have never had a crumble! but i am guessing they are very similar. you should definitely post your yummy recipe, Sonia! i would love to make apple crumble too (anything as long as its not the regular crust pie :D)

Indo, aha, I never thought of how this dish could really work for non-carb folks, but yeah, thats true!

Pavithra, yeah, vanilla ice-cream and an apple crisp must be a match made in heaven!
tinyskillet said…
I love crisps and I like that it is for two, because we have a small family and for two is perfect. I found out the difference between crisps and crumbles, I think crisps have the oats in it. This recipe looks so good!
Indhu said…
you had me drooling :)
and I love the fact that the recipe makes two servings.. no need to break my head in scaling it down :)
San said…
Iam a big fan of apple crisp,i used granny smith apples.with pear combo.Love to eat with whipped cream n always nutmeg makes it very much flavorful.Inviting click PJ.
PJ said…
Lyndsey, thanks! I am so glad you liked the crisps. Thanks also for checking up the difference between crisp and a cobbler.. oats sounds like it.

Indhu, i love recipes for two too, always have to halve or quarter a recipe otherwise :)

San, so agree about the nutmeg, it does make a dish taste so much special. Glad you liked it, San!
Amrit said…
My wife has become fan of your site. She says you are superb.
Pari Vasisht said…
Hi PJ, to tell u truly I am not a big fan of pie but my kids are, so I do bake for them. The crisps sounds a good idea but I should try with some other fruit as I do not like apple and cinnamon much. The clicks are perfect, I must take tips from u on that.
So when do u make the mutkule, let me know ur version of varan
Preeti Kashyap said…
This looks scrumptious. Join the club, I hate the crust too :). I follow j.o.b too, they give simple and yummy recipes.
Padhu Sankar said…
OMG!! I am drooling now .I feel like have it now .U tempt me with such lovely pictures .I agree with A .I am also a fan of your site and your lovely food photos.
PJ said…
A, thanks! I am so glad to hear that :)

Pari, I'll probably be making the similar daal like yours substituting the gode masala for the kala masala I have at home. Looks so delicious though, I am craving it already :)

Preeti, aha, so I finally found someone who also hates the crust. Good, now I don't feel too weirdo'ish :D
TREAT AND TRICK said…
This is really tempting and easy to make. I'm same like you tend to reduce butter and sugar in cooking. Beautiful click too...
Bombay Foodie said…
Oh! that's not weird at all. I liked the apples a lot more than the crust. And I prefer crumbles/crisps too :)
Sushma Mallya said…
i have never heard abt this one, but surely is very interesting...very lovely pics ...
Deepa said…
mm something from the baking arena..that looks so perfect..will try these crispies..
PJ said…
Padhu, thanks so much for your sweet words! I am so glad you liked the dessert and the clicks :) That sure makes my day.

Treat and Trick, so agree, initially I used to miss the less sweet, less buttery taste but in time I actually started liking it!

Simran, oh good, I am finally feeling like thats not a terribly weird habit to have :) Yeah, I prefer crumbles/crisps a lot now a days to pies.

Sushma, thanks! tastes very similar to apple pies but with no crust and instead some based oats. I am sure you will love it.

Deepa, baking for me is a rarity but once in a while it does draw me like a magnet :)
SathyaSridhar said…
PJ,,i like apple pie more than the crut i like the apple stuffings in the crust i dont feel the taste the main thing is apple it taste yummyy n crunchy,,while chewing i like the taste of the apple,,here ur apple looks crispy with oats sure this too taste good ahh
Kanchan said…
I'm not from your club then , I love crusts.. Infact me and my roomie had a deal I'll finish off the crust and she the apple part :)

btw wonderful clicks :)
Priya Suresh said…
Prefect apple crisp, looks beautiful and pretty elegant..
HA ha..i think i would eat that topping or crust with some apple cinnamon french butter with my coffee...thats after a couple large servings of ur delicious APple Crisp...made for seven this time round :-)))
tasteofbeirut said…
I agree with you! Not just that, but how often does one get offered a decent apple crust?
A little crunchiness provided by the crisp is enough and the apples get showcased.
Cool Lassi(e) said…
I love the crust and the filling. Your version of crisps look very tempting! Love it!
U have fab recipes...I really loved many of ur recipes...glad to follow u...do drop in at my blog sometime...
PJ said…
Sathya, aha, so you will definitely enjoy this apple crisp more than the apple pie itself :)

Kanchan, we should have the contest among ourselves too then, i eat the filling you the crust and both of us will be so satisfied with the results!

Priya, thanks! I am so glad you liked the crisp.

Mia, now you talk about apple cinnamon butter and have me drooling all over it! I have got to take some tips from you and make some apple butter soon.

TasteofBeirut, exactly, most of the crusts I have eaten tasted doughy and buttery.. much prefer the apple filling :)

Cool Lassi(e), thanks! I am so glad you liked the apple crisp.

Jay, thanks and welcome to my blog! I am so glad you stopped by and liked all the recipes here, I'll be off to visit yours now in a jiffy.
Panchpakwan said…
First time here.. Looks very nice collection of recipes..
Loved the apple crisp..looks yummy.

gald to follow you..:)
Namitha said…
Can you believe ...I have had this bookmarked a few months back and never tried so far..:-) now you are tempting me to try it soon :-)
PJ said…
Panchpakwan, thanks and welcome to my blog! I am so glad you enjoyed the recipes here and had a great time. I am off to visit yours now.

Namitha, aha, now, no escaping, you have got to make some apple pie/crisp :D So glad you liked it though.
shriya said…
Hey PJ, Seriously beuatiful click. Love it. Nice recipe and you are making me hungry now.
Cool Lassi(e) said…
Hey, I have a chain post that I have passed on to you..You have to mention 10 most inspiring women from different walks of life, who is not your relative and pass it on to 6 folks:
http://pangravykadaicurry.blogspot.com/2010/04/dhal-fritters-with-compound-flavors-and.html
same here i never like the crust and thats even true for samosa. the crumble looks divine. am next in trying this.
PJ said…
Shriya, thanks! I am so glad you liked the dish and the click.

Cool Lassi(e), sounds fun. let me think now.

Sayantani, aha, now i like samosa crust but come to think about it i like the filling better than the crust there too :) Thanks, I am glad you liked the crisp.
Cham said…
U know what i never been a pie gal! even my kid! we don't like first of all cinnamon in sweet stuff, weird? But the pict is very well captured!
Ann said…
Awesome picture looks so inviting and I love to try this recipe soon :)
Miri said…
I prefer the crips to the pies too - the crust really gets in the way ;)

The crips looks delectable
Joanne said…
For me, it really depends on the crust. It has to be really good for me to bother eating it. But the insides - how can you not love warm apples and cinnamon? Yes a crisp is the way to go.
Sarah Naveen said…
Beautiful clicks..looks awesome and yummy!!
PJ said…
Cham, not at all, my husband is like that too.. hates cinnamon. i have to make every dish 2 ways- one with cinnamon and the other without.

Ann, thanks! I am so glad you liked the recipe and the pictures.

Miri, aha, see, one more person like me :D You would love this crisp then compared to the pie.

Joanne, so agree, well baked crusts are good to come by and as I am not a baker either, its even harder for me :D

Sarah, thanks! I am so glad you liked the crisp and the click.
ruchikacooks said…
Apple crisp(and crumble) looks delicious, actually I love pies of all sorts but this is an easier version compared to baking an entire pie.

My fav episode is still the soup nazi ;) almost 15 yrs -20 yrs but Elaine and george are hilarious..
Hayley said…
Apple crisp looks yummy and mouthwatering..ya very similar to crumble, you can add also oats to make more healthy..I've mix fruit crumble recipe to post sonn..
Lori said…
That looks very inviting.
Anushree said…
Apple is my least favourite fruit but this makes it look so interesting!! This one goes into my list of things to cook too!
PJ said…
Ruchika, yes, this is definitely easier than baking an entire pie. i just hate the finickiness of getting the crust right. Ha Ha, soup nazi, yes, thats my favorite too, actually i have so many seinfeld favorites.. :D

Jagruti, aha, nice, i look forward to your yummy fruit cobbler recipe soon :)

Lori, thanks! I am so glad you liked it.

Anushree, an apple a day keeps a doctor away :D If you like apple pies, you will generally like this too.
Dolly Sharma said…
OMG PJ...Good to know you can are a follower(fan) of the Seinfeld show too. Me too I'm a huge fan of that show and I do refer to that show from time to time.. I love apple crisp for the same reason as you..I just love the apple filling..and I do make it from time to time especially when I have loads of apples and am clueless what to do with them...UR apple crisp looks inviting with ur beautiful presentation and superb clicks..
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Yasmeen said…
Delicious!Crisp is so much easier to make than pie and lighter too :D
PJ said…
Dolly, thanks! Seinfeld is such a timeless comedy classic, isn't it! Glad you liked the apple crisp too.

Mia, wow, sounds like a fun party to me! Let me see if I can jot something quickly.

Yasmeen, thanks! So agree.. there is no fussiness as is with pie crusts and the same great taste.
Unknown said…
Prajakta.. good to see ur excellent culinary skills.liked ur presentations also. I m definitely going to try few recipes.
Anonymous said…
Great post. Can’t wait to read the next ones :).