Apple crisp recipe holds memories of Mom

Dear Cook’s Notebook: I had a family recipe for apple crisp given to me by my mother, who has since passed away. I used to make it all the time. Somewhere, and I do not know how, I have lost that particular recipe.

My children, especially my son, would eat apple crisp until he was almost sick. I can remember bits and pieces of the recipe, but not the whole thing … It has to do with the topping. I can recall butter, flour, cinnamon and brown sugar. Am I missing anything and can you tell me the measurements?

Linda Campbell, Spokane

Dear Linda: I grew up eating apple crisp with an oatmeal topping, but it didn’t take much searching to find recipes for crisp without the oats. I found two recipes that are very similar. One is from the Dorothy Dean archives, circa 1969. The second is a highly-rated recipe from Allrecipes.com. I incorporated all of the changes suggested by recipe users. They are both delicious, and I hope one comes close to recreating your mother’s recipe.

Shirley’s Apple Crisp

From Dorothy Dean’s Homemakers Service, 1969

4 cups pared, sliced apples

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup sifted flour

1 cup sugar or packed brown sugar

1/3 cup butter

Cream

Combine apples, cinnamon, salt and water. Spread in buttered 8-inch square pan. In bowl combine flour and sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Serve warm with cream.

Yield: 6 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 305 calories, 10.5 grams fat, (6 grams saturated, 30 percent fat calories), 1 gram protein, 53 grams carbohydrate, 28 milligrams cholesterol, 1.8 grams dietary fiber, 201 milligrams sodium.

Apple Crisp

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

4 cups pared, sliced apples

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish.

Combine apples, cinnamon, salt and water and pour into prepared dish. In a bowl, combine flour and sugars and cut in butter with fingers or pastry cutter until crumbly. Sprinkle mixture evenly over apples.

Bake in preheated oven 40 to 50 minutes, until apples are tender and crust is golden.

Yield: 6 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 368 calories, 15.7 grams fat (9.6 grams saturated, 37 percent fat calories), 2 grams protein, 58 grams carbohydrate, 41 milligrams cholesterol, 2 grams dietary fiber, 358 milligrams sodium.