Apple crisp is lazy apple pie. I make it much more often, though, mostly because my mother’s apple pie is kind of famous and I’m too intimidated to even try. Yes, I’m aware that’s silly, and no, I’m not willing to just get over it. And really, at this point in my life, I’m not willing to spend the energy required to figure out how to make a good pie crust without using Crisco. So apple crisp it is. Because I kind of fly by the seat of my pants, the measurements are not very exact. I’ll include some very estimated amounts in the Ingredients section, and then the basic way I actually calculate the amounts in the Method section. Please feel free to follow whichever way makes more sense to you.

Ingredients:

8 apples

any spices you like–cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, a tiny bit of cloves, or even a little chili powder if you’re feeling adventurous. It’s also fine plain if you’re not.

2 c almonds

1/2 c sugar (I have a hunch you could try this with maple syrup or honey, too, but I haven’t. Sometimes white sugar is delicious.)

1/2 c some fat. I recommend either coconut oil, non-hydrogenated margarine (not just trans-fat free…that’s a trick. Look at the ingredients.), or butter.

Method:

Preheat oven to 375.

Peel and cut up a few apples (maybe 1 per guest or so…depending on how much you all like apples!). Mix up with whatever spices you’re adding and set aside in the baking dish.

Put almonds (about 1/4-1/3 cup per apple) into food processor and pulse with the chopping blade until you have a semi-coarse almond meal. Switch it over to a dough blade if you have one.

Add your sugar (about 1-2 tbsp per apple…depending on your sweet tooth) and your fat (about 1 tbsp per 1/4 cup almonds) to the food processor, and pulse until combined.

Spread crumb topping over the apples, bake about half an hour or until bubbly and delicious smelling. Let cool for a few minutes before serving with yogurt, ice cream, a bottle of Port, etc.

Happy Fall!