My Mom's Easy Apple Crisp Recipe

Ever since I was little, my favorite fruity dessert has been my mom's apple crisp. (Otherwise, I'm a strict chocolate lover.)  She makes apple crisp following a family recipe that she learned from my grandma, who got it from my great-grandma.  Slaves to family tradition, my sister and I eagerly copied it onto our own recipe cards when we moved out on our own.  And now, every year when apple season rolls around, I dig out the recipe, pick up some apples at the farmers' market, and am delighted to remember how simple this recipe is.  To me, the crispy crumble layer on top is what makes it great, and bumps it a notch above regular apple pie in my book. And since it's apple season now, I thought it was the perfect time to share this recipe with, well, everyone.  So here it is -- Enjoy!

5-6 cups of pared, sliced apples (I recommend Macintosh)

1 cup flour

1/2 - 1 cup sugar (I usually use 3/4 cup)

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 unbeaten egg

1/3 cup melted and cooled butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (I usually just sprinkle until it looks right)

Place the apple slices in a greased 6x10 inch baking dish [Note that I never seem to have a 6x10 inch dish, so I typically use an 8x8 inch square dish, and everything works out just fine]. We slice the apples fairly thin -- at least in 16ths. In a separate bowl, prepare the crumble topping: mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and unbeaten egg using a fork. The amount of sugar will depend on your taste and the sweetness of the apples. Pour the crumble mixture over the apples in the baking dish. Drizzle the melted butter over the top of the mixture, then sprinkle the top with cinnamon.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes (until the top is golden brown and crispy). Serve warm, with whipped cream and/or ice cream. My mom likes to eat it in a bowl, with a little milk poured over it and whipped cream on top. I prefer ice cream.

I hope you like it!