Many years ago, we had a cookbook from Maine that had the most extraordinary apple pie recipe. It had a layer of crushed graham crackers and caramel sauce underneath the apples. We lost that cookbook in the move to our new kitchen, but every fall when the apples are being harvested I think back to this recipe. This year, I decided to re-create it in an apple crisp. It sure took less time than making a pie, but the flavor combination was there.
For gluten-free cooking, try substituting gluten-free cookies for the graham crackers and brown rice flour for the flour. I think you might be pleased.
SERVINGS9servingsCHANGE SERVING SIZEservings |
COOK TIME30-40mins |
PREP TIME20mins |
READY IN50-60mins |
Ingredients
- Filling:
- 6 cups apple(s) peeled and sliced (6-8 apples: gala or honeycrisp recommended)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp flour
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 lemon (rind and juice)
- 2 Tbsp butter melted
- Topping:
- 3/4 cup butter melted
- 1 1/2 cups quick oats
- 3/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 cup graham crumbs or graham crackers, crushed
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Salted Caramel Sauce:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 12 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into pieces
- 1 cup heavy cream at room temperature
- 2 tsp kosher salt 1 Tbsp fleur de sel
Instructions
- Lightly grease 8x8” square baking dish
- Filling: Toss apples together with brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, salt, lemon zest, lemon juice and the melted butter.
- Topping: Melt butter in a medium bowl and add all other topping ingredients. Mix until crumbly and evenly mixed.
- Sprinkle over apples and pat down lightly. Bake at 350º for about 30-40 minutes, until apples are soft and the filling bubbles and the crisp is golden.
- Meanwhile make Salted Caramel Sauce: Add the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of a medium saucepan. Heat the sugar over medium-high heat, whisking it as it begins to melt. It's okay if the sugar begins to form clumps- keep whisking and as it continues to cook, they will melt back down. Stop whisking once all of the sugar has melted, and swirl the pan occasionally while the sugar cooks.
- Continue cooking until the sugar has reached a deep amber color. It should look almost a reddish-brown, and have a slight toasted aroma. This is the point where caramel can go from perfect to burnt in a matter of seconds, so keep a close eye. If you are using an instant-read thermometer, it will be around 350 degrees F. Watch this step very carefully!
- Remove the caramel from the heat and add the butter all at once. Be careful, as the caramel will bubble up when the butter is added. Whisk the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted.
- Slowly pour the cream into the caramel. Again, be careful because the mixture will bubble up ferociously.
- Whisk until all of the cream has been incorporated and you have a smooth sauce. Add the fleur de sel or kosher salt and whisk to incorporate.
- Set the sauce aside to cool for 10 to 15 minutes and then pour into jars. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 month.
- Serve crisp warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce.
