Celebrate the Arrival of Autumn With Apple Crisp

"By all these lovely tokens September days are here, with Summer's best of weather and Autumn's best of cheer." ~Helen Hunt Jackson

When September mornings begin getting cooler and sweaters make their reappearance, I immediately begin craving apples. Those crisp days trigger memories of fun family apple picking days and the subsequent making of pies, crisp and applesauce.  I cannot effectively articulate how I much I love this season.

I grew up in New England and lived here until I was thirty. It was on my thirtieth birthday that I decided I needed a change of scenery. So with a friend I moved to Florida, where I resided for three years before moving back. Now don't get me wrong, I am not knocking Florida.

In fact my parents live half the year there and so do a lot of my friends. I love visiting them-it is a beautiful place with so much to do. However, like a lot of other transplanted New Englanders I have spoken with, I eventuallly longed for home. I missed not only my family and friends. I missed the seasons-especially Autumn with its beautiful foliage, crisp cool days and of course, apples.

In a couple of weeks my little family will go, with my parents, to pick apples. Three generations picking and cooking and eating together...it's a beautiful thing. I again welcome Autumn with open arms. Happy Fall, everyone!

Autumn Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

• 5-6 tart apples
• 1 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup and 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 4 tbsp cold butter (1/2 stick)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
• pinch of salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Peel, core and chop the apples.
• Toss apples in a bowl with lemon juice.
• Add 1 tbsp flour to apple mixture.
• In a separate bowl combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
• Add to the apples and toss to combine.
• In another bowl combine flour, sugar and oats.
• Cut butter into 8 small pieces, and cut butter into flour with two forks until mixture is crumbly.
• Stir in the chopped nuts (if using).
• Butter an 8x8 baking dish.
• Spread half of flour mixture in bottom of baking dish.
• Put apple mixture on top of that.
• Spread the other half of flour mixture over the apple mixture.
• Bake at 375° for 30 to 45 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is lightly browned.
• Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!