We went to an apple orchard a few weeks back and came home with a bounty of delicious apples of all sizes & varieties. The honey crisp apples were some of largest apples I have ever laid eyes on but I also discovered my new favorite eating apple there, the Liberty apple.

We have been having apples as snack for weeks now.  We’ve had sliced apples on their own, dipped in peanut butter,  slathered in homemade caramel dip, apple crisp and apple pie.  I won a dehydrator off of a local auction site (the extent of my excitement over this was somewhat embarrassing) and set off to make some apple chips.

During my apple binge I discovered a great recipe for apple crisp. It’s a little different than the normal recipe but it’s delicious. It’s from “A Taste of the Country” Seventh Edition.

Apple Crisp

1 c. flour

3/4 c. rolled oats

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. butter, softened

4 c. chopped & peeled apples

1 c. sugar

2 T. cornstarch

1 c. water

1 t. vanilla extract

Vanilla ice cream, optional (not really)

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, combine first four ingredients. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press half into a greased 2-1/2 qt. baking dish or a 9-in. square baking pan. Cover with apples. In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, water and vanilla; cook and stir until thick and clear. Pour over apples. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until the apples are tender. Serve warm, with ice cream if desired. (Duh, obviously) Yield: 8 servings

The only thing that made this dessert discovery better was remembering to pull out my new dishes from the Pioneer Woman’s line.  They are so beautiful I can’t even…

They are a gorgeous shade of turquoise and when I first laid eyes on them my heart literally skipped a beat.

Seriously, I am in love with these dishes. And a scoop of this apple crisp with a small dollop or two of vanilla ice cream offset is like a culinary work of art.

I can’t wait to make another dessert, mainly just so I can use these dishes again.  So grab a few apples a
t the store today & throw this in the oven after dinner. I guarantee you your family will thank you. Your children will be indebted to you and you can use it to your advantage. Hey, it’s always good to have a little leverage as a parent. Hope you enjoy!