Apple Crisp

Posted Dec 15, 2011 | By Jill Robbins |

My family loves apple crisp during the holidays. We live in New England, so we often start by going apple picking together! And of course New England means maple syrup, so my apple crisp definitely has to include some of that. On a chilly autumn or winter day, there is nothing like the warm feeling from apple crisp just out of the oven. Well, that is unless you are my husband who prefers it cold, or my son who delights in covering it with a tower of ice cream, having recently transitioned from rice milk ice cream.

Many families have holiday recipes that have been passed down generation to generation, recipes that unfortunately tend to be full of allergens. Instead, we are creating a new tradition of serving treats that can be shared by family members of every generation. In fact, what I like most about serving my apple crisp to my extended family is that everyone can enjoy it together. It has always been important to me to serve foods that include everyone, regardless of the special dietary needs.

I make my apple crisp with an easy topping of HomeFree gluten-free oatmeal cookies, which in addition to being free of the top 8 allergens and gluten, also are great for people with almost every other special diet. Fresh apples, maple syrup, and cookie crumble….yum! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Happy holidays!

Quick Allergy Friendly, Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

Dry Mix:

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar (or mix with dark brown to taste)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. cloves

Apple Ingredients:

• 6 cups sliced (heaping cups are fine!) peeled apples (about 5-6 large apples that are good for baking, such as Granny Smith or McIntosh – or best is a mix of at least two types. Best if fresh and crisp.)

Topping Ingredients:

• 10 HomeFree gluten-free oatmeal cookies (or your soft oatmeal cookie of choice – about 10 oz total)
• 1/8 cup canola or safflower oil
• 1/8 cup maple syrup

Final Topping Ingredients:

• 1/8 cup more maple syrup

Lightly oil an 8” x 8” cake pan. Preheat oven to 350°.

Put dry mix ingredients into a bowl and mix well with a fork, breaking up any lumps of brown sugar.

Peel, core, and slice apples (about 4 slices per quarter).Pour dry mix over apples while mixing, until apples are just covered. Spread apple mixture evenly in pan, pouring any leftover sugar mix over the top.

Break up cookies into small chunks and crumbs. Stir the 1/8 cup oil together with the 1/8 cup syrup, pour over the cookie mixture, and mix. Spread cookie mixture over apples.

Using a spouted cup, drizzle the final 1/8 cup maple syrup in “S” shapes over the top. Bake for 25 minutes. (Apples will maintain some firmness.)

Great at any temperature.