Browned Butter and Pecan Apple Crisp

Ok, so I know it’s almost spring and dishes like apple crisp aren’t exactly spring-type desserts.  It’s more appropriate for fall or winter.  But I made an exception for this most spectacular apple crisp.  And let’s be honest, I don’t discriminate when it comes to sweets.  Any time, any type, any where.  I’m game.

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This apple crisp incorporates the wonderfulness of browned butter and is really rich and deep in flavor.  The oat crisp is crunchy and delicious and the abundance of apples make this crisp more like a crust-less apple pie than your typical crisp.

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The original recipe calls for an 8×8 pan.  I used a 9×9.  An 11×7 would be good.  And you could probably use a 9×13, but the apples and the crisp topping layers will be thinner as you use a bigger pan.  You could also bake this in individual ramekins for a little more formal dessert.

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I sliced the apples very thinly (32 slices per apple to be exact) because that’s how I like them.  This little gadget cores and slices apples into 8 equally sized pieces with one cut.  It’s definitely a time-saver, and definitely a uni-tasker, but one of my favorite kitchen tools.  Go get yourself one!  It made all the apple slicing easy.  But you do still have to peel them.  I kind of hate peeling apples, probably because I’m not very good at it and come close to losing a fingertip every time I do it.

I assembled this one afternoon and didn’t end up baking it until the next night.  So you can make this a day in advance and bake it straight from the fridge, which makes this a good dessert to serve for a dinner party because you can make it ahead and then pop it in the oven when you sit down for dinner and it’ll be ready once everyone is done eating.  Serve this with warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, Blue Bell if you can get it where you live.  Nothing beats Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla when you’re topping a warm fruit dessert.  But any vanilla ice cream will do!  Enjoy!

Brown Butter Apple Crisp

Adapted very slightly from Ambitious Kitchen

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

Topping

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
  • ½ cup chopped pecans

Filling

  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 6 medium-sized Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
  • 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

For the Topping

  1. Combine flour, oats, brown sugar and salt in a medium sized bowl.
  2. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or your hands until butter is incorporated but with many pea sized pieces.  Mix in the pecans.  Set in the fridge until ready to use.

For the Filling

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Place butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Watch the butter closely once it has melted.  It will start to foam and bubble, once it begins to brown and smell nutty, remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
  3. In a large bowl combine apple slices, brown sugar and cinnamon and toss together.  Pour the butter over and toss to coat apples.
  4. Pour apples in baking pan, then spread topping evenly over the apples, pressing down slightly.  Place on a baking sheet if you’re using a small pan to catch any drips.
  5. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until topping is crunchy and browned and the edges are bubbling.  Let cool slightly before serving.