Falling for Fall

Today I had a day off at home... they've been few and far between lately, so I intended to enjoy every minute of it. I lounged in bed reading for a while. I'm in love with the purple booties Ross got for me.

No I don't wear spandex for fun. I had a run planned after breakfast.

When it became clear that the day was going to remain cloudy, I decided it'd be a perfect day for baking. (Like I need much of an excuse). On our way home from Omaha on Saturday, Ross and I got some Winesap apples in Nebraska City. This variety is described as "dark red, crisp, fairly tart, excellent for baking." Based on this recipe from Joy the Baker, I assembled my ingredients:

Filling:

5 to 6 medium-size apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1.5 tsp cinnamon

Topping:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, well-softened
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Generously grease an 8×8 baking pan with butter.
Place a layer of apple slices in the bottom of the pan and dust with sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Continue layering apples and dusting with cinnamon/sugar until done. Toss the apple mixture until evenly coated in cinnamon sugar. The apples should be just about to the top of the pan (they will cook down).

For the topping, place the flour, brown sugar, nuts, cinnamon and oats in a large bowl and stir well with a wooden spoon. Work the butter into the mixture with your fingertips or a fork until evenly distributed. Take one full handful of the topping and toss it into the sugared apple mixture. Spread the rest of the topping evenly over the apples.

Bake the crisp in the dish on a baking sheet on the center oven rack until the topping is crunchy and the apples are bubbling, 55-60 minutes.

While it's baking, catch up on some reading (never mind that I've read this series close to a dozen times now. I like to re-visit Hogwarts every fall). Enjoy the way a cloudy day makes the turning leaves appear neon.

When the timer goes off, practice extreme restraint so as to not burn your tongue.

When crisp has cooled to eating temperature, dig in! Ice cream is not necessary, but certainly complimentary.

I love fall!