There, I said it and I stand by it. Fruit is usually the kind of dessert that your mom wants you to eat, and it feels like a gyp.
“Mom, what’s for dessert?”
“Have an apple. They’re on the counter.”
Literally, my life.
That said, sometimes fruit makes a good ingredient. Even when it’s the lead ingredient, enough vanilla and brown sugar and whatever else added…NOW we’re talking a real dessert. And one of my favorite dessert fruits are apples (Is apples? Grammar police help me!). You can get a lot of flavor from them, but they don’t overwhelm the rest of the ingredients…they work together like a well-oiled machine. A machine that’s been oiled with simple syrup and tastes like heaven. 😊
Ingredients
Base
· 2 ½ to 3 pounds of fresh apples (I like to mix up different types – for this I used Granny Smith, Jonagold and Golden Delicious)
· ¼ cup sugar
· 2 T fresh lemon juice (see…more fruit!)
· 2 T flour
· 1 t corn starch
· ½ t cinnamon
Topping
· 1 cup rolled oats
· 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
· 1 cup flour
· 1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
· 2 t cinnamon
· ½ t baking powder
· 2 t vanilla
· ½ cup butter, softened to room temperature
· Pinch of salt
Directions
First, peel the apples and cut them into small cubes and put the cubes into a bowl.
Cover the apples with the sugar, lemon juice, flour, corn starch and cinnamon and mix until everything is well combined.
Butter and flour a 9” x 13” baking dish and pour the apple mixture into it, spreading it out evenly.
In a bowl, add the rolled oats, chopped nuts, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, vanilla, butter and salt (ok, basically all of the “Topping” ingredients). Start mixing with a wooden spoon but then transfer to using your hands. The goal is to make them into little crumbles (hence the name of the recipe…).
Pour the crumbles evenly over the apples and bake the dish at 350 for 40-45 minutes, or until the topping is a nice golden brown color.
When its done take it out of the oven and set it on a wire rack. Let it cool for at least ten minutes before serving, so the filling can really set.
You can serve this cold or warm. Store it in the fridge, covered with aluminum foil if you don’t eat the whole thing in the first sitting.
Pretty much everyone is going to say serve it with vanilla ice cream. I will not oppose that, but ice cream isn’t really my thing and, personally, I don’t think this needs it. But if you’re into it, go for it!
Ugly Desserts 