Apple Crisp and Birthday Thoughts

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Today is my birthday! Yeah!!! Happy birthday to me! I always loved my birthdays, I am happy to think that I lived one more year, and I feel that a new year has started for me all over again.  My mom says such feelings change once you turn fifty... I don't know about that, maybe she is right, maybe not. But I have a lot of birthdays to celebrate before that date comes anyway, and I intend to enjoy them all. For me the year starts now, this is when I make my reflections, think about what happened over the past year, and perhaps even make a few resolutions for myself.

Here is what my resolutions list might look like:

 

• Resolution number one: do not make resolutions.
• Then the list would go on with things like eat less sugar, volunteer more, exercise more, read more, watch less TV, get a job, etc, etc...
• The last resolution reads: when feeling overwhelmed with life and its tasks, go back to resolution number one.

Tonight  I am having a double chocolate cake from my absolute favourite  Seattle bakery, after all, birthdays only come around once a year. But that is ok, for all the other days of the year, there is always Apple Crisp. I love this dessert because it is healthier and easier to make than most baked desserts.

 

Apple Crisp Recipe:

 

I made this with a mix of Braeburn and Granny Smith. If you want to go even lighter, swap the ice cream for low-fat frozen yogurt. This crisp can be baked in advance and reheated. This recipe uses a  2  1/2 quart size dish, enough for 6 servings.

 

You will need:

For the apple filling:

6 cups of peeled, cored and chopped apples, about 6 small ones (**see note)

2 tablespoons of sugar

1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

 

For the crisp topping:

1 cup  (155g) of all purpose-flour (or use 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white)

1/2 cup (45 g) of old fashioned oats (not quick cooking)

1/3 cup (90g) of  sugar

1/3 cup (75g) of packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup (1 stick, 125 g) of unsalted butter, melted

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 C).

Have two medium size bowls ready. In one of them, mix all ingredients for the filling and set aside.

In the second bowl, add all the dry ingredients from the toppings and whisk until all combined. Pour melted butter in and stir until crumbs form.

Lay the apple filling in a oven-proof dish and top it with the crisp topping.

Bake it for 35 minutes or so.

Let it rest for about 10 minutes before dishing it out. Serve it with ice cream.

 

 ** Note: mix lemon juice with the apples as soon as they are chopped to avoid them from getting brown.