I know what you’re thinking – Apple crisp in the spring? That’s a dessert for the fall, when there are so many apples around, you can’t walk in an orchard without squashing one.
But it’s fall in the place where Granny Smith apples originated – Australia. The tartness of Granny Smith apples are ideal for apple crisp.
Not that anyone needs an excuse to eat delicious apple crisp any day of the year. At least not in my house growing up. It was my mom’s signature dessert, always served with vanilla ice cream. Maybe I shouldn’t call it a dessert, more like an appetizer, since it was usually gone before dinner started.
I still think of apple crisp every time I smell the warm aroma of cinnamon.
Wait…I mean cassia. Because that jar marked ‘ground cinnamon’ in my kitchen, and my mom’s kitchen, and your kitchen, is actually ground cassia.
Cassia (Indonesian or Vietnamese Cinnamon) is not true cinnamon (that’s Ceylon Cinnamon), but cassia is sweeter, spicier, and all around more delicious than its close relative. Perfect for matching with tart apple in fall desserts.
For an intense cinnamon flavor in every bite of apple crisp, try our sweetest & spiciest Vietnamese Cinnamon.
Apple Crisp
Ingredients
For the base:
- 5 apples Ginger Gold or Granny Smith works very well
- 1/3 cup sugar raw or white
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 tsp of Season with Spice’s Vietnamese Cinnamon
For the crust:
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/3 cup butter -softened
Instructions
- Peel, then slice the apples.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (or 175C).
- For the base, mix the apple slices, sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir thoroughly to make sure the cinnamon is spread evenly over the apple slices, and then transfer the base to a 9″ x 9″ greased pan.
- For the crust, mix the brown sugar, oats, flour, and butter. Then roll up your sleeves and grab the dough, and start breaking small chunks off and dropping them evenly over the apples.
- Bake at 350F for 45 minutes, and then remove and let cool for 30 minutes before serving (if you can wait that long).
- If reheating the next day, bake for 5 minutes at 350F (200C), and then broil it for 2-3 minutes to get the crunch back in the crust.