So, autumn is quickly approaching. The weather is getting cold and windy, and there is nothing better than some hot food, preferably dessert. Fall is about muffins, pumpkin pie, apple – what are you dreaming about? It’s the beginning of term! You have calculus homework! You have a lab tonight! You don’t have time to cook!
Whoa there, calm down. Take a deep breath. Take several. Here is a secret. Cooking is easy! It doesn’t take long. You can change recipes so they suit your cupboard and schedule. This is a variable apple crisp recipe that will warm you up and keep you going. Most of these ingredients can be substituted for whatever you have. It’s your crisp so mess around all you want.
First, you need a fruit base. Apples with raisins works best, but you can use pears, plums, peaches, blackberries, you name it. Knock yourself out. Use an unholy combination of kiwis, bananas, and durians. If your fruit base is very liquidy, drain it as much as possible, and mix in some oats or, better yet, tapioca. The softer the base, the more topping you should use. Chop up your fruit and put it in a glass pan. Heck, use a frying pan or a bowl. Use what you have.
For the topping, you need four ingredients:
Oats. This is the most important ingredient. It helps to divide the oats into four parts: four cupfulls, four litres. The kind of oat doesn’t matter- you can even open those little packages of instant oatmeal.
Butter. You will need about half as much butter as oats, but it depends on the brand. Melt it. The third ingredient is the one you have been eagerly anticipating, sugar! Brown sugar works better than white sugar. If you only have white sugar, here is a secret:
White sugar = brown sugar – molasses.
Rearrange the equation:
White sugar + molasses = brown sugar.
You will need two to three parts sugar for every four parts oats. Add more if you like, but if you add too much the topping will burn.
Finally, some flour improves the texture if you add a bit. Mix those four ingredients together. Using your hands works best. Stop complaining that your hands will get dirty- that’s the best part.
When you finish mixing the crust, it should stick together, but still be crumbly. If it doesn’t stick together, add more butter. If it sticks too much, add more oats. If you taste it and it isn’t sweet enough for your liking… figure it out yourself.
When the topping is done, sprinkle it on top of the fruit base. You will note that there are no actual measurements in this recipe. Of course not! It depends on how you like your crisp, and how much you want to make. Thirty-two square feet is a good amount to start with.
When the crisp is in the pan, put it in the oven: 350 Celsius is a good temperature. How long? This is a crisp. Bake till it lives up till its name. It does take a while to cool down, so make it in advance, eat it with ice cream, or put it quickly into bowls so it cools faster.
Crisp is good with ice cream, pudding, whipped cream, fried snails, and everything else.
Enjoy your crisp and- what time is it? Hurry up, you have class in five minutes!
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