As the days grow colder, and the nights come sooner, the sweet aroma of cinnamon and spices wafts in and out of most kitchens during this transitional season. It’s the time when ovens are turned on again, and people begin to settle in for the duration. It’s also the time when apples have matured and are ready to be picked off their branches.
When I was little, my family and I always took time out of our schedules to go apple picking. My mom and dad made a whole day of it. My sisters and brother and I would be excited for weeks and could barely wait for that special Saturday to arrive. It was always in the late afternoon, and always at the same orchard. We would wear our heaviest sweaters and jeans, and sometimes we would have to don hats and gloves. (Maine autumn weather is extremely chilly and unpredictable. On one occasion it actually snowed!) That never stopped us from going though. One cold day of apple picking beat out one afternoon of chores anytime!
We would drive for almost 40 minutes to reach our destination. I still remember passing by acres of cows and fields until we turned onto the lonely road that brought us nearer. My sisters and I would start watching for the rows and rows of apples alongside the way. That‘s when we knew we were almost there. When we arrived, dad would drop Mom and us kids off in front of the barn so we could get our bags. Then he would park the car and join us. Sometimes, if it wasn’t that busy and there was a close enough spot, we would all wait to go into the barn together, but usually that wasn’t the case. Se we would wait for my father to walk down the dirt road, smoking his cigarette and waving to his silly family up ahead. Once he met with us, he always grabbed the tall apple picking utensil that the orchard provided. This was the easy way to pick the really good fruit on the higher branches.
Together we would embark on our journey, looking for the trees that supported the most apples. Mom would test each tree by biting into an apple to taste if it was sweet. It was good, we stopped and began picking. If it wasn’t, we traveled on to the next one. As kids, following in our mother’s footsteps, we grew to refine our apple tasting too. We also were taught which apples to pick. If there were any bruises or brown spots, or any kind of black holes on that piece of fruit, it was immediately discarded. Mom only chose the best. That also meant that we delicately placed those apples into our barrels and bags too. There was no tossing or throwing our Macintosh. The very brightest and sweetest apple could be marred for life if it were dropped on the ground. Mom was extremely particular about what she bought and brought home.
As our buckets filled and our tree climbing skills grew weary, it was time to walk back to the barn and pay for our wares. Dad would bring the car back and we would carefully fill the trunk with our day’s work. All of us would grab an apple to eat on the way home - all of us, except Dad. He didn’t like to eat raw fruit. He would wait for the scrumptious apple desserts my mom would make as soon as she hit the kitchen. The apples would be peeled for homemade applesauce and biscuits for dinner, and freshly baked apple pie or apple crisp for dessert. Such delicious aromas filled our house as we waited once again for our reward.
My mom doesn’t cook using recipes. She comes from a long line of women who know instinctively what spices to add to a dish to make it taste great. She made her applesauce that way and any other apple dessert that popped into her head. The recipe for apple crisp here has measurements, but feel free to add or decrease whatever fits your preferences. My family happens to love cinnamon and it shows in our recipes. Enjoy this apple crisp with your loved ones. It may start a whole new tradition for you too.
April’s Apple Crisp
Ingredients
5-7 apples (depending on size)
1 cup sugar
4-5 teaspoons cinnamon
1-2 tablespoons flour
For the topping:
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
½ cup flour
¾ cup oatmeal
3 teaspoons cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
1/2 cup of butter/margarine
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray bottom of 7 x 11, or 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray for easier clean up.
Peel and slice apples into nice bite size pieces. (For new bakers – do not use the cores. J) Place in large bowl, then add cinnamon and sugar. Mix well until all apples are coated. Taste the apples; if the mixture is sweet enough, it’s done. If you prefer it sweeter, add more sugar and/or cinnamon, depending on your preference. Add the flour to keep filling from becoming too runny. Let apple mixture sit for 5-10 minutes. If it looks too syrupy, add more flour one tablespoon at a time. Mix well.
While apple mixture is resting, mix together the sugars, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add oatmeal and stir thoroughly. Chop butter/margarine into small chunks and add to dry mixture. With your hands, combine the shortening into the blend. Continually work/mash it together until it crumbles into pea size balls. (A pastry blender, or a fork and knife also work. Just mash and cut for the same outcome.)
To bake, pour apple mixture into prepared pan. Use the larger size if you used a lot of apples. Top with an even coating of the oatmeal crumble. Press down firmly.
Bake in oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Top should be slightly golden brown and apples should be bubbling underneath.
Let cool slightly. Enjoy with a dollop of ice cream and your favorite fall beverage!
If your taste buds need the warm and gooey flavor of apple pie, the recipe is included on this site as well. It's the first blog I ever posted, and it's in my cookbook!
Find more recipes like this here:
myBook.to/LovefromSistersKitchen
