Honey, Brown Butter & Brandy Apple Crisp
Chef Kathy Casey
Dish D’lish
Seattle
Chef Kathy Casey tweaks a traditional apple crisp by sweetening both the topping and filling with honey. Puffed rice cereal adds another textural element to the crumbly topping, while subbing garam masala for ground cinnamon in the filling provides an exotic flavor twist. She suggests using a firm baking apple variety, such as Gala or Fuji, for best results.
Ingredients
Crumble
3 oz. butter, softened
½ cup honey
¼ cup brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup rolled oats
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. kosher salt
2 cups puffed rice cereal
Apple filling
2 oz. butter
¾ cup apple cider
1 tbsp. cornstarch
¾ cup honey
1 tsp. garam masala or cinnamon
2 tbsp. brandy
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 lb. apples, sliced (12 cups)
Steps
1. For crumble, in mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter, honey and brown sugar. Add flour, oats, cinnamon and salt; mix until well combined. Gently fold in puffed rice cereal. Refrigerate until chilled.
2. For filling, in small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter. Cook until nicely browned and nutty.
3. In small bowl, whisk together apple cider and cornstarch until smooth; quickly add to butter mixture, whisking constantly. Stir in honey, cinnamon and brandy. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a simmer. Remove from heat and cool.
4. In large bowl, toss apples with flour; drizzle with cider-honey mixture. Toss well to combine.
5. Preheat oven to 350 F. Place 1½ cups apple filling in each of 10 individual baking dishes. Top with ½ cup crumble. Bake on sheet pan for 35 to 40 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Hold at room temperature up to two days before serving.
Photo courtesy of National Honey Board