Apple season is here! While the thought of a fresh apple pie waifs across your mind, think of this more playful combination of a bubbling filling and a crisp nutty topping under a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You can experiment with different types of apples in the recipe, and I sometimes use equal amounts of green and red apples for a change. This desert never fails to please!
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
1 ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed and divided
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
3 ounces almond paste, crumbled
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes
3 ½-4 pounds of Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into ¾ “pieces
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 13x9x2” glass baking dish. To make the topping, blend ¾ cup flour, ¼ cup of packed brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of cardamom, ½ teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon of grated nutmeg and salt in a food processor. Add almond paste and process until fine crumbs form. Add butter and pulse until mixture begins to clump together. Transfer to a bowl and mix in sliced almonds.
To make the filling, in a large bowl, toss the apples with ½ cup of granulated and 1 cup of light brown packed sugar. Add lemon juice and toss the apples to cover them with the lemon juice. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix well.
Spread the apple mixture in the buttered dish. Sprinkle on the topping and bake for 1 hour, or until the topping is golden and the apple filling is bubbly. Serve warm with ice cream.
Recipe by Mary