apple toffee crisp

We brought these beautiful apples home last weekend from our apple picking venture.

~ Braeburn, Winesap, and Red Delicious ~

I bought these pretty ruffled mini pie plates while in Colorado, 
and I couldn't wait to use them for this simple dessert. 

With several pounds of apples to enjoy, and endless apple dessert ideas . . . It was hard to choose what to make first, but with creamy Vanilla Bean ice cream in the freezer . . . the answer became clear . . . Apple Crisp! 

An apple crisp is a simple dessert of fresh chopped or sliced apples that are generously sprinkled with cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar . . . topped with a crumble topping of oats, brown sugar, and lots of butter (and a few more ingredients) . . . . and then baked to perfection.  

When I decided to make Apple Crisps, I thought of ways to make it extra special. Although a dollop of Vanilla Bean ice cream ~ right out of the oven ~ is all you really need . . . I wanted to make the APPLE FILLING special.

Should I add cranberries, I thought? It was a possibility, that is, until I saw a jar of toffee bits in my cupboard. "Ah ha! That's it!" And so I added toffee bits to the apple filling. 

The toffee bits added a warm caramel flavor to the apple base. Yum!  It's simply a delicious Fall dessert!

~ Apple Toffee Crisp ~

~ Did you notice the gooey caramel apple base under the crumble topping? ~

Here's what you'll need . . . 5 pounds McIntosh, Macoun, or Braeburn apples 
* I use a combination of apples
2 cups of Toffee bits
Grated zest of 1 orange 
Grated zest of 1 lemon 
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice 
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 
1/2 cup granulated sugar 
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

FOR THE TOPPING
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
3/4 cup granulated sugar 
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed 
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 
1 cup oatmeal 
1/2 pound cold unsalted butter, diced 

Preparation Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 14 x 2-inch oval baking dish. 

Peel, core, and cut the apples into large wedges, or cubes. Combine the apples with the zests, juices, sugar, spices, and toffee bits. Pour into the dish. 

To make the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas. Scatter evenly over the apples. 

Place the crisp on a sheet pan and bake for one hour until the top is brown and the apples are bubbly. Serve warm. 

bon appetit!