Who else loved the gorgeous weekend we just had?! And maybe got a little rosy in the face (and shoulders, and legs, and…) like me? No? Must be my fair skin qualities coming out.

If you’re livin’ in the Midwest, then it was the perfect time to get outside and enjoy some fall activities because it was EIGHTY degrees out! I love fall, but it’s just so unpredictable, isn’t it? I’m glad the weather decided to pretend it was the middle of August, because it was apple orchard time for us this weekend!

I had Heather, a best friend from high school, come up to visit me for the weekend, which was so much fun! It’s always nice to see an “old” familiar face. Since she loves to bake and cook as much as I do, I knew that making my favorite Homemade Rustic Apple Crisp together would be a delicious way to use up some of our many (er, 20+ pounds) hand picked apples.

Heather and I were locker mates our freshman year of high school and we hit it off instantly. Well, I suppose we go back even farther than that. She went to the private school in our small town up until high school, but we were on the basketball courts together during tournament teams in middle school and frequently shared a table at the public library while doing homework after school (yeah, what can I say, I was am a nerd).

Now where were we? Oh yes, let’s jump ahead 8+ years (8 years?!) to this warm, cozy, crunch-filled goodness that we made this weekend. I love making apple crisp because it’s just so..rustic. In other words, it’s not fancy, it can hardly be messed up, and yet it tastes so delicious and comforting. Apple crisp may not always look all that appealing, but what it lacks in appearance, it certainly makes up for in taste.

This recipe is modified from my aunt and it’s the one apple crisp that I go back to time and time again. I’ve had plenty of other apple crisps, but none compare to this one. I did the best I could at making it “healthier” (without losing the buttery, sugary taste) and added white whole wheat flour to the topping mixture. You can pretty much swap out all-purpose flour for white whole wheat flour in most recipes and you can’t even tell. And let’s be real, it’s a dessert that I have once a year—I’m not looking for a healthy apple crisp for the one time that I get it. #everythinginmoderation

Not sure what apples to use? Pretty much any apples will do. We picked a combination of apples (McIntosh, Empire, and Haralson—all of which are great baking apples) and added them all in.

Some people are apple pie fans, but I think I’m an apple crisp lover, personally. I love the way the brown sugar caramelizes and gets crunchy while the cinnamon-coated apples underneath become soft and juicy. To really put it over the top, we made homemade vanilla ice cream to compliment it. The warm apple crisp with the ice cream melting into it—words can’t even describe.

I think I better go get some more, because my mouth is watering just thinking about it…and knowing I still have over half a pan in the fridge makes me think I need to go fix that. :)

Homemade Rustic Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

• 6 cups (5–7 apples) peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1 cup quick oatmeal, uncooked
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 cup cold butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Combine apples, lemon juice, cinnamon and sugar in a large bow and mix well.
3. Combine flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger into a bowl. Cut the cold butter into 1/4 inch pieces; cut the butter into the flour mixture with a fork until just mixed.
4. Pour topping mixture on top of the apples. Bake uncovered at 375° for 45 minutes.