So my bowl of McIntosh apples left me wanting apple crisp.  I had seen a recipe that pre-cooked the apples in a cast iron skillet that looked really good and since I’m all about cooking in my cast iron skillets, I thought I’d give it a whirl.  And I have to say, that yes it did make the best apple crisp ever.

Cast Iron Apple Crisp

• 2 lbs apples – mix of sweet and tart (about 3 apples)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• dash of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to taste

Topping:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar (more as desired)
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 cup flour

10 inch cast iron skillet and small mixing bowl

Core and cut apples into small pieces (about 1/2 inch). Peeling is optional, but with this method the peels cook nice and soft, so it isn’t necessary.

Melt butter in skillet, add apples and sugar, stir until apples are well coated. Cover and cook on medium heat until apple mixture is soft and caramelized, stirring occasionally. About 20-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In mixing bowl, stir together butter, sugar, flour and oats, mix until crumbly. Crumble over the apple mixture. Bake for 10-15 minutes, just until top is crispy golden brown. Let cool 10 minutes and serve warm.

What makes this so good is that because the apples are cooked on the stovetop, you can use a much higher heat in the oven and get a good, crisp top without drying the whole mixture out or under cooking the apples. Really, this is one of the best apple crisps I’ve made.

Alternately, if you don’t have an oven-proof skillet, you can transfer the cooked apple mixture to a glass baking dish, add topping and bake that way.