Apple Crisp (From Mom's Recipe Card File)

I'm trying to make one homemade dessert a week, just because I'd gotten out of the habit of even THINKING about making desserts.  Oh, I've made my shortcakes for strawberries, and apple strudel when I'm feeling particularly Deutch-ish, and dump cake in a camp dutch oven, but cakes, cookies, brownies, pies, and all those "normal" kinds of things have pretty much fallen by the wayside.  

Because calories.  UGH.

But...NO MORE!  I've decided to just EAT, by golly!  Life's too short to do without dessert.  So, that's where my kinda-sorta resolution came from.  I'm going to explore and rediscover DESSERT - what a concept, right?

I'm starting out with an old standby, Mom's apple crisp.  No pie crust to fuss with, so it's fairly foolproof and fast (don't worry, I'll get to pie crust eventually), and it doesn't last long in our house.  I bake mine in an eight-inch square CorningWare dish I've had an embarrassingly long time.

It's great warm and topped with vanilla ice cream, of course.

Apple Crisp

4-6 large apples, peeled and sliced (1/4")
1/4 c water
1 c granulated sugar
3/4 c flour
2 T apple pie spice (or 4 1/2 t cinnamon and 1 1/2 t nutmeg)
6 T butter, softened (NOT melted)
1 t salt

Set the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spread the apples in a sprayed 8-inch square baking dish and pour the water over them.  In a medium mixing bowl, place the rest of the ingredients and work them together with a fork or pastry blender until crumbly.  Spread over the apples evenly.  Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.


That's all there is to it!   Nothing fancy, but oh, it sure makes the house smell heavenly!