- Hey, guys, today I'm gonna show you
how to make an easy apple crisp in a cast-iron skillet.
You will love how tender and syrupy these apples are,
with just the right amount of spice.
And that crisp topping cannot be beat.
This would be a great recipe for Thanksgiving
if you don't wanna fuss with an apple pie
because I think this is way easier.
It also transports really well,
making it perfect for a potluck.
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Okay, let me show you how to make a fantastic apple crisp.
Now, for this recipe, I'm using Gala apples.
I find that they're just a little bit sweeter
and more tender than the Granny Smith.
I think the Granny Smiths are great for an apple pie,
but if you're making an apple crisp,
I say go for something sweeter and lighter like a Gala.
So we're just going to peel these apples and core them
and cut them into nice wedges.
And then we're going to add those to a large bowl.
And to that, we're gonna add two tablespoons
of fresh lemon juice, 1/3 of a cup of white sugar,
and two tablespoons of corn starch,
and a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.
Now, you could just use cinnamon, but because I'm American,
I love my pumpkin pie spice, (laughs)
so I'm gonna add that in.
I just like it because I think it gives
a lot more flavor to it.
And in fact, if you wanna learn
how to make pumpkin pie spice at home,
I have a recipe for that,
and I'll leave you a link in the description.
Then you can toss this mixture up,
making sure that all of the apples are covered
and that the mixture is combined,
and then you can set that aside.
Then in a large 10-inch cast-iron skillet,
you're going to add three tablespoons of butter.
And once that starts to melt down,
you can then add 1/3 of a cup of brown sugar.
And then you wanna whisk together the brown sugar
and the butter so it creates kind of like a nice paste.
And then you're gonna place the apples in the skillet
and let them simmer.
I love to make apple crisp this way in a skillet
because it really allows you
to give the apples a head start.
Once they start to simmer and break down,
all of their juices start to release,
and it'll combine with that brown sugar and the butter
to give you a head start on your syrupy sauce.
And I find that's the hallmark of a great apple crisp.
You need the syrupy sauce.
You don't want a dry apple crisp.
So while that's simmering,
you can get on with making the crisp topping.
So in a medium-size bowl,
you're going to add 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour,
two tablespoons of brown sugar,
two tablespoons of white sugar,
3/4 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/8 of a teaspoon of salt,
and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.
And you can whisk that all up until it's combined.
And then to that we're gonna add eight tablespoons
of melted butter.
And once you whisk that up, you'll see you'll start
to get kind of like a paste on your hands.
And then at this stage,
you can add 3/4 cup of old-fashioned oats.
So you wanna make sure that they're the old-fashioned oats.
You don't wanna use the quick-cooking oats.
They won't work as well.
Then we are going to add 1/2 a cup of chopped pecans.
You could also use walnuts if you prefer.
And then here's the secret ingredient,
1/2 a cup of toffee bits.
The toffee bits really make this crisp so delicious
because once they start to bake in the oven,
they start to melt down,
and they give your crisp a really nice,
almost like caramel chew once it's all said and done.
So they are worth seeking out.
I usually find them in the baking aisle
next to the chocolate chips.
They'll just be called HEATH toffee bits.
And at this stage, I like to add 1/4 cup of water,
which will help create more of a sauce for the apples.
It's important that they have enough liquid to cook in
so that you get that syrupy texture when it's all done.
Then you can take your crisp topping
and just sprinkle it all over the top.
Then you're going to place this in a 375-degree oven
for anywhere from 30 to 35 minutes.
You'll know when it's done
because the crisp topping will start to turn golden brown
and you'll start to see
all those beautiful syrupy juices bubbling underneath.
Now, you could serve this right away,
or if you were making this for Thanksgiving,
I think the easier thing to do is
to bake it the day before, let it cool completely,
cover it with foil, and pop it in your fridge.
Then 30 minutes before you plan to serve it,
I would remove the foil.
Add two to three tablespoons of water
just all over the top of the crisp
because what ends up happening
is the sauce congeals thanks to the cornstarch
and you're not gonna get that syrupy center again
unless you kind of reactivate it with some water.
You wanna thin it out a bit.
And then you can place the foil on top.
Place it in a 375-degree oven for about 15 minutes,
and then remove the foil and let it go
for another 10 to 15 minutes
just until that crisp topping is nice and crunchy
and you start to see those juices bubbling.
I like to serve it in small bowls
with some vanilla ice cream.
And as always, you can find the printable version
of this recipe at entertainingwithbeth.com.
And if you are up for making an apple pie this year,
then you must watch my foolproof tips in this video.
You can click that annotation, and I'll see you over there
and show you how to make a fantastic apple pie.
All right, you guys, I'll see you back here next time.
Until then, bye.