It’s always good to have a few reliable recipes in your pocket, especially when you are a weekend guest at someone’s house. This one is easy and a real crowd-pleaser. All you need to remember is the crumble ratio of 1-1-1: one cup of flour, one cup of sugar and one stick (actually ½ cup) of butter. The rest is apples any which way you like them. You can put in a big pile of apples and have a heaping layer of sweet, tangy diced apples under the crispy crumb. Or you can keep the apple layer on the thin side so you get more crumble per bite of apples. Pick out your favorite baking dish and let that dictate how many apples to use. Throw in some raisins and walnuts – or not. Vary your type of apples – or stick to tried and true Granny Smith. The crumble works for just about any apple variation that goes beneath.
The splash of maple syrup on the apples is the other secret to making this a special dessert. The syrup will melt with the apple juices and a bit of butter and make the most heavenly sauce around the fruit. You can use Sugarmaker’s Cut Pure Maple Syrup, Apple Brandy Barrel-Aged, or Cinnamon-Vanilla Infused Maple Syrup. Whichever you choose, set some aside to pour over the crisp when you serve it.
