A great cold weather dessert, the apple crisp or apple crumble brings with it the memories of cold winter evenings by the hearth, fragrances of cinnamon mixed with smells of warm apples baking. This particular dish is also a great accompaniment for a large dollop of ice cream, if you are one of those people for whom ice cream is always the main course, whatever else the table may be laden with!! This sweet dish is made with sliced fresh apples and cinnamon then topped with a crumbly mixture of flour, butter, and sugar. Apple Crumble, as Americans love to call it, can be made in a variety of ways, but the basic recipe is always the same... sweet, warm apple filling, topped with crunchy crumble, sometimes with nuts and flavoring, sometimes with plain breadcrumb consistency. Crisp is actually any dish with soft fruit below, topped with a crunchy crumbly topping, sometimes with nuts and dried fruits. Since they do not have a bottom layer (or else they would be a pie!) the top layer gives a great crispy, crunchy contrast to the tart, soft fruit underneath. Crisps can be made with any firm, sweet fruit, peaches, pears, apricots - but we have some interesting versions of apple crisps here. Apple Crisp To make this delicious and easy dessert, you need:

• 500 grams apples
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground cardamom
• ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp. low fat spread
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Grated rind of one lemon
• Juice of one lemon

Method

• Peel, core and slice the apples. Preheat the oven at 180 °C. Grease a baking dish and keep aside.
• Toss the apples into the orange juice and mix in the lemon rind. Place these in an arranged manner inside the baking dish.
• Meanwhile, crumb together the flour, low fat spread and sugar, adding in the powdered cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. Using warm water, make a crumb-like consistency of this mixture.
• Spread over the apples in the baking dish, evenly. Bake till the top is evenly browned, and the apples inside will be tender too.
• Serve with a large dollop of ice-cream or fresh cream.

Low Fat Apple Crisp This version is made using oats with flour which makes it easier to digest, tastier and crunchier. You need:

• ½ cup flour
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup fat free butter
• 1/3 cup oats
• 3 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp. flour

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Spray a baking dish with oil, enough to bake, no more. Peel, core and slice the apples into thin crescents, keep aside.
• Blend together the flour, butter, white sugar and oats till they resemble bread crumbs. This can also be done with bare hands, so that all the ingredients are mixed properly. The topping is ready.
• In a bowl mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon and three tablespoons of flour.
• Combine with the apples so they do not break. Pour this mixture into the baking dish. Then spread the prepared topping evenly over the apples.
• Bake this dish for about 45 minutes. The topping should be browned and crusty.
• Serve with ice cream on the side. Or if it is a winter dessert menu, serve with fresh cream.

Though many believe that it is a dish of the fall, there is no particular season or time when it can be enjoyed. It tastes the best with cream, ice cream and even with custard.