Holiday Sweets 2: Skillet Apple Crisp

Need an easy dessert for upcoming family time?  Check out another fabulous guest post from Mary!  

A delicious and faster alternative to apple pie. The crumble topping and rich apple filling are fantastic. Enjoy!  ~Mary

Skillet Apple Crisp

Recipe & photo from Cook's Illustrated, September 1, 2010

Serves 6 to 8.

Golden Delicious apples are Cook’s Illustrated’s favorite for this recipe, but any sweet, crisp apple such as Honeycrisp or Braeburn can be substituted; they do not recommend Granny Smith apples for this recipe. If your skillet is not ovensafe, prepare the recipe through step 3 and then transfer the filling to a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Top the filling as directed and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Serve the apple crisp warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

INGREDIENTS

Topping

¾ cup (3 ¾ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

¾ cup pecans, chopped fine

¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats 

½ cup (3 1/2 ounces) packed light brown sugar

¼ cup (1 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon table salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling

3 pounds Golden Delicious apples (about 7 medium), peeled, cored, halved, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges (see note above)

¼ cup (1 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup apple cider

2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

INSTRUCTIONS

1. FOR THE TOPPING: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine flour, pecans, oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl. Stir in butter until mixture is thoroughly moistened and crumbly. Set aside while preparing fruit filling.

2. FOR THE FILLING: Toss apples, granulated sugar, and cinnamon (if using) together in large bowl; set aside. Bring cider to simmer in 12-inch ovensafe skillet over medium heat; cook until reduced to ½ cup, about 5 minutes. Transfer reduced cider to bowl or liquid measuring cup; stir in lemon juice and set aside.

3. Heat butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add apple mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until apples begin to soften and become translucent, 12 to 14 minutes. (Do not fully cook apples.) Remove pan from heat and gently stir in cider mixture until apples are coated.

4. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit, breaking up any large chunks. Place skillet on baking sheet and bake until fruit is tender and topping is deep golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack until warm, at least 15 minutes, and serve.