Apple Cranberry Crisp

There has been a distinct lack of dessert in my house since we finished the last of the Thanksgiving pecan pie. After dinner, I can hear my family rattling the kitchen cabinets in search of something sweet, and I know there's nothing but crumbs. But all of that changed today. I took the little stockpile of apples from my box and turned them into a crunchy crumbly cinnamony crisp.

Fresh cranberries added a tangy note to the sweetness of the apples. The final crisp then begged for vanilla ice cream, but it can be baked with or without cranberries. Either way, you'd be wise to stock the freezer with ice cream. There are not many things nicer than warm, oozey apples, crunchy nuts and sweet oats with cold ice cream melting on top - except the smell of your house while it's baking!

Apple Cranberry Crisp

Serves 6-8

Topping

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1.5 cup walnuts coarsely chopped

1 stick +2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling

Grated zest and juice of one orange

1 cup fresh cranberries (optional)

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 medium apples

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350° F (176° C)

1. To make the topping, combine flour, oats, walnuts, melted butter in a bowl. Stir in brown sugar and salt, set aside.

2. To make the filling, combine zest and juice of orange with cranberries and set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine sugar and cinnamon. Peel, core and slice apples adding them to the sugar cinnamon mixture and toss. Stir in cranberries and juice.

3. Scrape the filling into a baking dish. Distribute the topping evenly across the apples. Bake for 1 hr. 15 min. until the crisp is well browned on top and juices are bubbling and thick.

Serve warm with ice cream.