while i love all things chocolate and lemon-flavored, my favorite dessert of all time is a simple fruit crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. i find that it works for any season, substituting cranberries or pears in the fall/winter months, strawberries or peaches in the spring/summer months. this is also one of the easiest desserts to make, as you most likely have all of the ingredients on hand.
if you can find a couple really good apples (they should be firm and equally tart/sweet - my go-to these days are honeycrisp), i think they make for one of the best versions of this dessert. try baking them in ramekins for individualized servings, or a larger baking dish (i would increase baking time to 40-45 minutes). i've also eaten the leftovers with greek yogurt for a fancy breakfast!
apple crisp
an original recipe
- 2 large apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup oats
- 3 tablespoons sugar (white, brown or a mix of the two)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
preheat oven to 350 degrees. toss apples with the lemon juice in a bowl, and distribute evenly among 6 ramekins.
in a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients until combined (i think it's easiest to use your hands). sprinkle the topping over each of the 6 ramekins; there should be just enough to cover the apples completely.
bake on a rimmed baking sheet for 30 minutes. top with vanilla ice cream, and enjoy!
serves 6