Recipe: Apple crisp

I don’t know why anyone would make a pie instead of a crisp. A crisp, most often made with apples but accommodating of almost any fruit, is better textured, better flavoured and easier to make. If you choose to use pears instead of apples, be aware that unripe pears are unlikely to become tender in the time it takes the topping to brown. You must begin with pears that have started to soften, or their texture will remain unpleasantly firm.

TIME: 1 HOUR

YIELD: 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

6 cups peeled, cored, sliced apples or ripe pears (from 2 to 3 pounds fruit)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more to taste

1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons

5 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing the pan

3/4 cup oats

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Toss fruit with half the cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar, and spread it in a lightly buttered 8-inch square or 9-inch round baking pan.

2. Combine remaining cinnamon and sugar in container of a food processor with butter, oats and nuts; pulse a few times, just until ingredients are combined. (Do not purée.) To mix ingredients by hand, soften butter slightly, toss together dry ingredients and work butter in with fingertips, a pastry blender or a fork.

3. Spread topping over apples, and bake about 40 minutes, until topping is browned and apples are tender. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

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