10/2/2008

Individual apple crisps

Filed under: — Aprille @ 6:38 pm

I love making food that I neither planned for nor shopped for; I just got in the mood for it and I happened to have the ingredients.  It’s like Antiques Roadshow for me:  I had these treasures all along, and I just had to arrange them into something wonderful.

Case in point:  quick and easy individual apple crisps.  These are good for so many reasons.  First, anything served in an individual dish is better than the analogous thing served out of a big pot.  When you dig into an individual ramekin of something, it feels like someone cared enough to make it just for you.  Also, they cook faster that way.  It’s prime apple season, fall is just beginning to hint around about its chilly presence, and there’s just enough vanilla ice cream in the freezer to top two servings.

This sort of confluence of events thrills me.  Also, the VP debates are tonight.  What better way to celebrate being an American (and let’s remember that patriotism doesn’t have a political party; you can be proud of your country and anxious to improve it even if you lean toward the blue side) than with something apple pie-esque.

Individual Apple Crisps

Serves 2, but can easily be doubled or tripled or whatever.  In fact, the topping made more than I needed.

1 apple, peeled and cut into smallish pieces (I actually used 1.5 apples because gluttony is a family value)
.25 cup AP flour
.25 cup quick-cooking oats
.5 cup brown sugar
some cinnamon and/or nutmeg and/or apple pie spice and/or cloves, maybe 1/2 tsp total
a pinch of salt
a small handful of coarsely-chopped nuts if you like them.  I used pecans.
about 1/3 stick of butter

Preheat oven to 350F.  Put the apples into 2 ramekins or other single-serve oven-safe vessel.  Mix the dry ingredients, then cut in the butter.  Sprinkle generously on top of the apples. Bake for 30 minutes or so.  Top with ice cream.

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