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Apple crisp is one of Momma’s favorites, and one of ours, too! This can be made without using the crust in a casserole dish, but I like it best as a pie. Once upon a time I used Granny Smith apples exclusively, but lately I’ve been mixing a few Staymans, Winesaps, or Pink Ladies into the mix. My ratio is two Granny Smiths for every other apple. These pies will wake a sleeping teenager when they’re baking—a rare feat indeed!
Ingredients
An 8- or 9-inch pie crust, premade or a homemade crust, if preferred
Filling
5 to 6 cups thinly sliced firm, tart apples (Granny Smiths work well as the base, with a few Staymans, Winesaps, or Pink Ladies to balance the tartness)
1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons white all-purpose unbleached flour
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
A dash of salt
Crisp Topping
1 cup white all-purpose unbleached flour
1⁄2 cup dark brown sugar
1⁄2 cup butter, cubed and at room temperature
Directions
Peel and core all of the apples, then cut them into thin slices. In a large bowl, mix the apple slices together thoroughly to evenly distribute the different kinds of apples in the pie. Next, in a smaller bowl, sift together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, then stir the dry mixture into the apple slices until they are evenly coated. Add the apple slices to the pie shell. Then, in another bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar, then cut in the butter with a fork or a pastry cutter. The mix should be crumbly and formed into small chunks the size of lima beans to peas. Add this mixture on top of the apples.
Then bake the pie uncovered in a 425°F oven for 30 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and a butter knife slips into the pie easily. Cool the pie as long as you can stand it, but if you want a bite when it’s fresh out of the oven, be prepared for a deluge of lovely, sweet juices from the slice.