Dear Customers,
When I stop to consider my favorite fruit, I realize that I pretty much like them all. The lone exception may be kiwi fruit. They’re fuzzy and they have some ugly little seeds on the inside. Watermelon in season might just be first, followed closely by bananas, strawberries, cherries, blueberries, oranges, grapefruit and the other, less famous ‘melons’, cantaloupe and honeydew!
Noticeably absent from the ‘favorites’ list is the ubiquitous apple. They are literally everywhere and are readily available the year round. You can walk out into your back lawn, stop along a country road or even shop at your grocer’s produce department. You’ll find apples in all these places. Can’t do that with a banana or a grapefruit!
The mere fact that apples are so ever-present is probably the reason why there are thousands upon thousands of apple recipes available on the internet. Our ancestors used them because they were inexpensive, (read ‘free’) and extremely popular among almost every family. People even used to make “mock” apple pies using soda crackers or even zucchini when apples were in short supply – which is almost never!
Turning once again to the best baker I know, my mother-in-law Alice Robbins, and keeping with the apple theme of October – here is her recipe for the best apple crisp I’ve ever enjoyed.
NANA’S BEST APPLE CRISP
| 4 cups tart apples – sliced | 1 cup granulated sugar |
| ¼ cup orange juice (the secret ingredient) | ¾ cup all-purpose flour |
| ½ teaspoon cinnamon | ¼ teaspoon nutmeg |
| ½ cup butter | Table salt |
Preheat oven to 375°F. Mound apples in a 9” x 13” glass baking dish and sprinkle with the orange juice. For the topping, combine sugar, flour, spices and a dash of salt. Cut in the butter until mixture is crumbly, then scatter over the apples.
Bake for 45 minutes. Then place under broiler watching carefully not to burn. Just a few minutes is enough the “crisp” up the topping! (NOTE: the same dessert can be made with tart cherries, pears or peach slices)