Project Date Night: September + Apple Crisp for Two Recipe

 

September is a great month for all things APPLE! This month's Project Date Night was an extension of a family fun night. We went apple picking at a local apple orchard and stocked up on my favorite apples - Macintosh! I bought some cider, cider syrup and utility apples (the not so pretty apples that are a great value when you're baking or making applesauce, or in my case apple butter).

Fun times!

After we put little man to bed, we munched on apple crisp and sipped cider while playing a variation on Apple to Apples - one of our favorite card games.

Apples to Apples is a group game for 4 or more players (see how to play as a group here), so we had to change it up to make it a 2 person game. In this variation, we did a fill in the blank.  One of us would call out a statement, such as, "In the morning, my hair looks....." and then we'd both flip over a green card (the green cards are all adjectives) for the "answer".  The answer to this one was "crazy" and "smelly". Great! I have crazy, smelly hair. Nice. :-) We used this list of statements to get us started, then came up with our own.

It was a fun way to just be silly and laugh and it definitely got us talking (which is one of the goals of date night).  I'd consider this one a success. Simple, but fun.

This would be fun to do as a group of couples, or with family! Have you ever tried a different variation for Apples to Apples? Let us know! We're always on the lookout for a new way to play.

Dessert Time!
And did I mention Apple Crisp? This is supposed to be a recipe for two, but be warned, it's 2 good size servings.

 

Just in case you need to see it again... succulent, spiced apples topped with sweet, crunchy walnut and oat topping.

 



So good, I just want to lick the plate! I would even eat it for breakfast... Yum!

Apple Crisp for Two

by Raye

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert breakfast dairy-free egg-free gluten-free peanut-free soy-free vegetarian apple oatmeal fall

6075049

Ingredients (2 servings)

Filling

• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar of your choice (I've used coconut sugar and evaporated cane juice with success. You could certainly use regular cane sugar.)
• 2 medium apples
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp tapioca starch (optional, if your apples are really juicy)

Topping

• 3 Tbsp oat flour
• 6 Tbsp rolled oats (or could sub quick oats)
• 6 Tbsp finely chopped walnuts (chop first, then measure)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar of your choice
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil (or butter if you can tolerate dairy)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven 350*F.
• Peel, core and slice the apples thinly and toss with lemon juice. In a small bowl, mix cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and tapioca starch if using. (I only use the tapioca if my apples are really juicy, otherwise I skip it.) Combine the apples and spice mixture, stir to coat.
• Plop the apple filling mixture into a 1 quart baking dish, or 2 (6-8 oz) ramekins. Try to get the apples to lay sort of flat if you can.
• Prepare the topping: I typically don't have oat flour on hand, so I just take rolled oats (which I have lots of) and whizz it in my coffee grinder until it turns into flour.
• Mix together the oat flour, rolled oats, chopped walnuts, cinnamon, salt and granulated sugar. Drizzle honey over the top, then drop in the coconut oil in little pats. Mix with a fork or your fingers until you have a nice, mealy consistency that sticks together when pressed between your fingers.
• Sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over the apple filling in the pan. Place the pan or ramekins on a cookie sheet (just in case they bubble over).
• Bake at 350*F for about 30 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and juices just begin to bubble through.
• Remove from oven and cool on the pan. Serve warm or cold with (dairy or non-dairy) whipped cream or ice cream if desired.
• NOTE: This is the perfect amount of sweetness for us, but if your apples are pretty tart or you prefer more sweetness, just up the granulated sweetener in either the filling or topping (or both) to your liking.

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