Sometimes nostalgic thoughts
wash over me like a warm bath. Such was the case last Sunday when I prepared a
fruit and cheese tray to enjoy during one of the many football games that plague
grace the Sunday lineup. I was thinking of just how well apples complement
cheese, cheddar in particular, when I was suddenly back in my mother’s kitchen sneaking bits of topping from a warm apple crisp.
Like James Bond on a mission, I
set out to find that recipe. It wasn’t easy. Dad wasn’t sure where it would be,
my aunt and cousin hadn’t a clue, and I had looked through her recipe
box to no
avail. In desperation, I pulled out the recipe box again, and carefully went
one-by-one through every recipe, unfolding those that had been folded in half
or in quarters, and examined each carefully. There in the “Pork” section was the
recipe.
So today, I decided to make
it. Oh, how I wish my mother had been
here to tell me the type of apples she used (Jonathon were her favorites, so I
have to presume those), and just how thinly the apples should have been sliced.
Mine was good, but it wasn’t
like my mom used to make. The topping was wonderful, so I was pleased with
that, but the apples I’d sliced too thickly and they just didn’t have the same
sweet, chewy, caramelisation that hers always did. I used
her deep dish pie plate that probably wasn’t the best choice, but, really, who
has a 6” x 10” pan? I didn’t even know they made those; as I recall, she made
hers in an 8” x 8” pan. Clearly this will be a work in progress, and I’ll munch
on the topping while pondering just what to do to improve the taste and texture
of the apples. Stay with me, this isn’t over! In the meantime, if you cannot
read my mother’s handwriting, here is the recipe if you'd like to give it a try.
Mom’s Apple Crisp
4 cups sliced apples
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup sifted flour
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup rolled oats, uncooked
Preheat oven to 375ยบF. Place apples in greased 6” x 10” pan.
Sprinkle with sugar.
For topping combine all ingredients,
blend thoroughly, mixing until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of the apple mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Serve warm or cold with ice
cream.
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Ready for the oven. Note the grated bits
of Tillamook cheddar.
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