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Crunchy Pecan Apple Crisp with Cranberries

The best and the easiest to make holiday season dessert

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Apple Crisp or Apple Crumble? How do you call it? :)​

 

As I am writing this post right now, I realized how the things from our past get stuck with us. I have a cup of tea by me, black tea with a little bit of milk, yes, very British indeed :) Hihii! Had to add that "indeed" there, because I found it so fitting. So you already know I call it Apple Crumble, but how do you call it and please let me know where you are from so I know how that affects how you call this amazing dessert :) I studied in Worcester, the UK, for my Bachelor's degree and so I have noticed that there are things that have stuck with me since then. It might be the way I pronounce some words or the words that I use to describe something, well, like this Apple Crumbl. Also  I still drink my tea the English way with a little milk, because, well, I love it :) Unortunately I have no Apple Crumble to go with my tea right now and so some store bought cookies to rescue..

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This is a dessert that I make so often I can't even tell you. I love it for the simplicity and for the fact you can use different fruit combinations and make it a little different every single time.​ As the holidays are approaching I thought I need to come up with an option for the holidays and so I brought in the cranberries and the pecan nuts. I must say this is definitely the best Apple Crumble/Apple Crisp that I have made or had. I loved how the cranberries added that little sweet sour taste to the apples, how crunchy the crispy topping was and how the pecan nuts just brought everything to a whole next level. All that already makes my mouth water and I am already planning on stocking up on apples during my next grocery shopping so I can make this again :) But hey, it still needs a little something and here I would like to give you some options. You can either make your own vanilla sauce, which by the way, is very easy and fast to make or you can enjoy it with some vanilla ice cream. Both are great and add that missing creamy component to the dessert.

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This Apple Crisp is really easy and fast to make, but I know that sometimes even a little is too much on Thanksgiving or on a Christmas day. So you will love this, because you can prep everything beforehand, cover the Apple Crisp with some cling film and refrigerate it to bake next day. Then you can bake it right before serving and it will be bubbly and warm and will fill your home with an amazing holiday scent. Another option is to pre-bake, then cool and again store covered in the fridge and then re-heat in the oven for 5-10 minutes before serving. Both ways it will be delicious, flavourful and super crunchy.

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Happy Holidays Lovelies!

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Step by Step Video

RECIPE

Pecan Apple Crisp with Cranberries

The best and the easiest to make holiday season dessert

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​INGREDIENTS

(makes about 6 portions)

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  • 5-6 medium apples (sweet)

  • 1 lemon

  • 80g dried cranberries

  • 50g brown sugar

  • 30g cornstarch

  • 1tsp cinnamon

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  • 150g oats

  • 100g flour

  • 100g sugar

  • 1tsp cinnamon

  • 100g chopped pecan nuts

  • 200g cold butter

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  • 2 egg yolks

  • 15g flour

  • 50g sugar

  • 400ml milk

  • 1tsp vanilla

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DIRECTIONS

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  1. Peel and de-seed the apples. Cube the apples and add them into a medium bowl. Cut a lemon in half and squeeze some lemon juice over the apples, toss the apples in the lemon juice just to cover them lightly. This will stop the apples from browning.

  2. Add the cranberries to the apples.

  3. In a small bowl combine the brown sugar with cornstarch and cinnamon. Add to the apples and cranberries and mix with your hands to cover the apples with the sugar mix. Take a 22cm x 22cm oven proof dish and add in the apples.

  4. To make the crumble topping, combine oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, chopped pecan nuts and cold butter in a medium bowl. Mix the ingredients with your hands just until combined and crumble like. Add the topping over the apples.

  5. Bake the apple crisp in 180°C bottom top heat at the middle shelf of the oven for 45-50 minutes or until golden.

  6. While the apple crisp is baking you can make the vanilla sauce. In a medium bowl combine the egg yolks with the sugar and the flour. Add a little milk to help mix everything well if needed. Heat the rest of the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until it starts to steam. Remove from heat and slowly pour into the egg yolks while whisking continuously. Then pour back into the saucepan and heat over medium heat while whisking continuously until the mixture starts to thicken slightly. You can test with a spoon,when the vanilla sauce coats a spoon it is ready. It should take only about 5 minutes or so to thicken. Once the vanilla sauce cools completely it will thicken a little more.

  7. Remove the apple crisp from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

  8. Serve warm with vanilla sauce drizzled on top.

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TIP. You can prep the apple crisp a day before and store it covered in the fridge. Then bake it next day just before serving. Or you can also pre-bake it, then cool it and store covered in the fridge. Then next day just re-heat in the oven 150°C for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

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TIP. Any leftover vanilla sauce will last a couple of days in the fridge.

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