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Apple Crisp A Dessert That’s Good For You

Edwige Lee Knight-Ridder Newspapers

Remember the old saying about how eating an apple each day will keep the doctor away? It still applies today, in a modified version: Now, two apples help keep you healthy.

A tart snacker such as a Granny Smith makes incorporating two apples in the daily diet a tasty chore. It’s a smart one as well, because Granny Smiths, like all members of the apple family, are full of nutrients found to ward off diseases.

For instance, apples have plenty of pectin, a fiber that may help reduce cholesterol and prevent heart attacks. Potassium can reduce your chance of suffering a stroke, while boron can fight off osteoporosis.

Green Granny Smiths are third in popularity behind Red and Golden Delicious varieties. But Granny Smiths are the star of many recipes. Their tart taste marries well with sugar and spices. An added plus is their firmness even after cooking.

Try baking Granny Smiths. Keep the skins from bursting open from excess steam by making several cuts around the fruit, says Sharon Tyler Herbst in “The Food Lover’s Tiptionary.” Removing a half-inch strip around the apple’s middle will keep shrinkage to a minimum.

At the market, pick Granny Smiths with an even color. Bruises and cuts in the skin invite bacteria that will shorten the apple’s life, so avoid blemished fruit.

Apple Crisp

From “Cooking A to Z,” by Jane Horn (Ortho Books).

5 large tart apples, such as Granny Smith

1/2 to 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, grated lemon rind or brandy, to taste.

1/4 cup sugar, or to taste, depending on the tartness of apples

Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired

Topping:

2 cups flour

1 cup granulated or firmly packed light brown sugar

1 cup unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel, core and slice the apples.

Place the apples in a shallow, 2-quart ovenproof dish. Sprinkle the chosen flavoring and sugar over the apples.

Assemble the crisp topping by sifting the flour in a medium mixing bowl. Blend in the sugar and cut in the butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Sprinkle the crisp topping over the apples, covering them completely.

Bake until the crumbs are golden and the apples are tender, about 30 to 45 minutes. If the top browns before the apples are tender, cover the top of the dish with foil and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Serve hot or at room temperature with whipped topping or ice cream.

Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 691 calories, 5 grams protein, 101 grams carbohydrate, 32 grams fat (42 percent fat calories), 83 milligrams cholesterol, 5 grams dietary fiber, 6 milligrams sodium.