Cast Iron Apple Crisp

  • Yield: 8 to 10
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 6 large U.S. Granny Smith or Gala apples, peeled and sliced
    (about 7 cups/1.75 L)
  • ⅓ cup (75 mL) packed brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp (45 mL) melted butter
  • 2 tsp (10 mL) ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) cornstarch

Topping:

  • 1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (250 mL) large flake rolled oats
  • 1 cup (250 mL) packed brown sugar
  • ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
  • ½ cup (125 mL) melted butter
  • Ice cream to serve (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat a gas barbecue to 375°F (190°C).
    In a large bowl, toss sliced apples with brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and cornstarch until well coated. Spread apple mixture evenly in a buttered, 10-inch (25 cm) cast iron skillet.

Topping:

  1. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, oats, brown sugar and salt with a fork until well combined. Drizzle over butter; stir until butter is evenly distributed and mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over apples.
  2. Place skillet on grill; positioning to one side if your burners run side-to-side, or closer to the back if your burners run front-to-back. Close lid and turn off burners directly under the skillet. Cook, with lid closed, for about 1 hour or until topping is golden and apples are bubbly and tender. Serve warm with ice cream (if desired).

Notes:

Check gage often and adjust remaining burner(s) from medium to medium-high as needed to keep the temperature within a range of 375 to 400°F (190 to 200°C); rotate skillet every 20 minutes for even cooking.

 

Oven Method: Bake the apple crisp in the skillet or a 10-inch (25 cm) baking dish for 45 to 55 minutes at 375°F (190°F). Tent the apples with foil if the topping browns before apples are tender.

To make individual crisps, divide apples between four 5-inch (12 cm) mini cast iron skillets. Divide crumb mixture, sprinkling generously. Adjust total cook time as needed.

This crisp has a generous crumb topping; if you prefer less crumbs, reserve any extra in the freezer to use for another apple crisp or as a streusel topping for muffins another time.

If using a charcoal grill, set up the charcoal for indirect heat before lighting. Cover the skillet with foil for the first 30 minutes to reduce the transfer of smoky flavour to the dessert.

Nutrition Facts:

PER SERVING (1/8th recipe): 440 calories, 17 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 200 mg sodium, 70 g carbohydrates, 3 g fibre, 45 g sugars, 4 g protein. %DV: 5 % calcium, 9 % iron, 15 % vitamin A, 4 % vitamin C.