Today it definitely feels like fall. The air is crisp and the clouds outside are so dense it feels like our entire town is under heavy wool blanket. Tomorrow my in laws are taking us out apple picking. This is my favorite event of the season (well till Halloween)!
We will spend hours picking the apples with the cherry pickers (and of course sampling) while my father in law plays amateur photographer. Then on our way out we grab some early cider and fresh made cider donuts. If you have never had cider donuts then I feel bad for you, these things are amazing. They are at least 40% of the fun...I sure hope the orchard hasn't started a PPC campaign and they run out of donuts before we get there lol.
Tomorrow night when I get home I am going to make some apple crisp and freeze it for when my dad makes his annual fall visit. Here is one of my favorite apple crisp recipes, if you are diabetic then you can either cut the white sugar in half or try making it with Splenda.
INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds tart apples
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup rolled oats
4 tablespoons cold butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
PREPARATION:
Peel, core and chop apples, toss in a bowl with lemon juice to prevent darkening. In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; stir into apples. Set aside.
In another bowl combine flour, sugar and oats. Cut butter into 8 pieces, and cut butter into flour until mixture looks like crumbs. Stir in nuts. Butter a 10 X 10-inch baking dish. Spread apples in bottom of baking dish then sprinkle with flour mixture. Bake at 375° for 30 to 45 minutes, or until apples are tender and topping is lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream.
