Autumn’s Caramel Apple Crisp

For the topping:
Place chilled butter in a large bowl and using a pastry cutter (or a food processor), cut through the pieces. Add brown sugar, Turbinado sugar, salt, flour, and oatmeal, continuing to cut with the blade. When mixed, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Do not over-blend. A little chunky is good.

For the apple crisp:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Peel and core the apples and cut them in 1/8 inch thick-crescent-shaped sizes. (3 1/2 pounds of apples will yield about 8 cups slices.) In a mixing bowl, gently toss together the apple slices, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and vanilla. Set aside at room temperature until the apples begin to give off their juices, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the apple mixture to a 2-quart greased glass baking dish;. Spread it out well, filling to all the corners. Pour caramel syrup back and forth over the apples.

Remove the crumb mixture from the refrigerator. Take a handful and squeeze tightly to compress it into a solid piece, then hold the compressed topping over the baking dish and crumble it by hand into small pieces, strewing them over the apples. Repeat with the remaining topping.

Place the baking dish directly on the oven rack and bake until the apples are bubbling and the crisp is nicely browned.

When the crisp is done, leave it at room temperature until it cools enough to cut into individual servings, about 20 minutes. Serve with your favorite ice cream or fresh whipping cream.

Note: There are many version of apple crisp but the Turbinado sugar in this recipe helps create a lovely caramel flavoring alongside the syrup.