Make apple crisp

Apple crisp is easier than pie. There is no crust to roll and no lattice to fuss over. You slice apples into a dish, crumble a buttery oat topping over them and bake until the juices bubble. It is best warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into it.

What you need

For the filling:

• 5 or 6 medium apples (about 6 cups sliced), peeled if you like
• 1/4 cup sugar, or a little more if the apples are tart
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the topping:

• 3/4 cup rolled oats (not instant)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small cubes

You will want an 8 or 9 inch square dish, or a similar-sized baking dish. Vanilla ice cream, to serve, is the one thing worth buying specially.

Make it

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter the baking dish.
2. Slice the apples about 1/4 inch thick. Toss them in a bowl with the sugar, flour, cinnamon and lemon juice, then tip them into the dish.
3. In another bowl, mix the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.
4. Add the cold butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse, clumpy crumbs. Some pieces should stay pea-sized, since those become the crunchy bits.
5. Scatter the topping evenly over the apples. Press it down lightly, but do not pack it.
6. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the topping is golden and the juices are bubbling at the edges. If the top browns before the apples are tender, cover it loosely with foil.
7. Rest it for 10 to 15 minutes. The juices thicken as it cools, and it is much less likely to burn your tongue.

Make the topping crisp

The topping is what makes this dessert, so protect it. Use cold butter and rub it in quickly, so it does not melt into a paste. Use rolled oats, because instant oats go soft. Spread the topping over the apples without pressing hard, so it bakes into crumbs rather than a lid. If you want it even crunchier, chill the topping in the fridge for 15 minutes before it goes on.

Ways to change it

Add a handful of chopped pecans or walnuts to the topping for extra crunch, or a pinch of nutmeg or ginger to the apples. A handful of cranberries or blackberries tossed in with the apples gives the filling a tart edge. If you are making this for a crowd, double everything and bake it in a 9 by 13 inch dish, which will need a little longer in the oven. You can also swap the oats for chopped nuts if you want a topping closer to a crumble.

If something goes wrong

• The topping is soggy. The butter was too warm, or the topping was packed down. Rub the butter in quickly and scatter it loosely.
• The apples are still firm. Slice them thinner, or bake it longer under foil.
• The filling is watery. It needs a little more flour, or it needs to rest longer before serving. A watery filling is common with very juicy apples.
• The topping is dark but the apples are raw. The oven is running hot. Cover with foil and keep baking.
• It is too tart. Add a spoonful more sugar to the apples next time, or use a sweeter mix.

Keeping it

Leave leftovers covered at room temperature for a few hours, then move them to the fridge, where they keep for three or four days. To warm a portion, put it in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, which brings back some of the crunch. The microwave works but makes the topping soft.

Make it a fall evening

Bake it after apple picking with whatever is left in the bag, and put the oven on while you eat dinner so it comes out as you finish. If you would like a crust after all, an apple pie uses the same filling.