OMG this was wonderful! Best apple crisp EVER and a CONTEST too! DH asked for apple crisp for his birthday and I finally created one where I measured everything. Yes, after 20 years of eyeballing apple crisps, I can finally share a recipe.

SnarkyVegan’s Cranberry Apple Crisp with Maple Syrup

  • 7—8 apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin (Granny Smiths are the classic but I used Honeycrisps and they were fine)
  • 1 T. lemon juice
  • 1—2 c. frozen cranberries (depending on how much you like cranberries, I used 2 cups)

Filling:

  • 1 c. maple syrup
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1 t. cinnamon
  • 1/4 t. allspice
  • 1/4 t. cloves
  • 1/4 t. salt
  • 2 T. cornstarch
  • 2 T. water

Topping:

  • 2 c. raw oats
  • 1/2 c. chopped pecans
  • 1 t. cinnamon
  • 1/2 c. Earth Balance margarine
  • 1/4 c. sugar
  1. Peel, core and slice the apples and float in a bowl of water with lemon juice until ready with remainder of ingredients.
  2. Mix cornstarch and water in small cup and set aside.
  3. Mix remainder of filling ingredients in small saucepan over medium heat until sugar is mostly dissolved.
  4. Add cornstarch mixture to saucepan and continue stirring until thoroughly blended. Really, all you’re doing here is giving it a head start as a syrup so it will coat the apples better before baking.
  5. Drain apples and mix with cranberries in a deep baking dish.
  6. Pour hot filling over apples and stir to coat.
  7. In medium bowl, cream together sugar, margarine and cinnamon. Add oats and pecans and continue creaming until crumbly.
  8. Crumble topping on top of apple mixture.
  9. Bake at 375° F for 45 – 60 minutes or until apples are translucent as shown below. If the topping starts to brown too much, cover with foil or a lid until complete.
TIP: I use a clear baking dish so I can keep an eye on the apples. Many recipes have shorter cooking times but I find that I prefer an apple that’s more like those gold jewel-like ones in TV dinners from the late 60’s. Remember those?

I really wouldn’t use any more cinnamon than noted above. I do have a tendency to overdo the cinnamon in general but too much will obscure the apple and maple flavors. In fact, I did try this with a full tablespoon of cinnamon and it was just too much. But do what you think you’ll like. Remember, most recipes are flexible.

Contest!

Earth Balance margarine really is THE margarine to use for baking. And I have in my grubby paws THREE coupons for free Earth Balance products! One product per coupon, expiration date of 03/31/11, you are responsible for taxes cuz afterall, the government gets theirs. I will conduct a random drawing for three winners on November 19, 9pm CST. All you gotta do to enter is one of the following:

  1. Follow me on Twitter @snarkyvegan and send me a tweet mentioning you’re a new follower for the EB drawing.
  2. Follow me on Facebook, same deal, send me a message mentioning you’re a new follower for the EB drawing.
  3. Leave a comment on this post with your own tip for making supreme apple crisp.

Yes, you may do all three and increase your chances of snagging a coupon. The coupons are good for any Earth Balance product including their really pricey nut butters! Don’t forget, if you want to snag a coupon, you gotta ensure I have a link back to you via email or your own blog/Twitter/Facebook accounts so I can notify you.