Recipe: Apple Crisp with Homemade Caramel Sauce

We had all of our kids and their spouses (and fiancee), and our grandbaby all over for dinner on Sunday. Can I mention how perfect the world seems when I'm with that group? I can't explain it, but somehow the stars all seem impeccably aligned, and both Bob and I feel like it can't possibly get any better than that feeling right there. I'm pretty sure that's how the family is designed to make us feel.

Well, since we had just come home from our New York trip the day before, I hadn't planned anything really crazy for dinner. We had lasagna, salad, homemade rolls, and then for dessert we had apple crisp with ice cream and homemade caramel sauce. And since this week is "Apple Week" in the Week-By-Week Food Storage Plan, I figured an apple recipe was more than appropriate to share!

I have always loved apple crisp, but as with most things I make, I like it my way. I don't like nuts in my apple crisp. No walnuts, PLEASE! (I know... lots of people love walnuts, but I do not) We grew up with my mom making the yummiest apple crisp. I've taken her recipe, tweaked it just a bit (because I'm an oatmeal lover), and this is what I've come up with...

Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

8 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced in 1/4" slices (I use 4 tart apples, like a Granny Smith, and 4 Fuji's)

1/4 c. sugar stirred with 1/4 c. water to make a syrup

cinnamon

1 cup butter, cut in 1/4 inch slabs

1-3/4 c. white sugar

1/4 t. salt

3/4 c. flour

1 c. oats

Directions:

1. Place apples in a 9 X 13 pan. Dribble your "syrup" over all of the apples. 

2. Sprinkle all over with cinnamon.

3. In a separate bowl, place the butter, 1-3/4 c. sugar, salt, flour and oats. Mix together with a pastry cutter til it resembles small pepples. Place the mixture over the apples, covering evenly and well.

4. Bake in a 325 oven for 45-60 minutes, until golden brown. 

Sometimes I like my apple crisp plain, with no toppings, but when we have company and I want to be fancy, I'll add a scoop of ice cream and sometimes even drizzle warm caramel sauce over the whole thing. Yum. I found a great caramel sauce recipe on Food.com. I like it because it uses ingredients I have in my house all of the time. Plus, its soooo good!

Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

3/4 c. butter

1-1/2 c. brown sugar

2 T. water

1/4 t. salt

3/4 c. evaporated milk

1 t. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Combine butter, brown sugar, water, and salt in a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, stirring constantly.

2. Bring to boil for 3 to 5 minutes, depending upon thickness desired.

3. Remove from heat and stir in evaporated milk and vanilla. Serve warm. Keep any unused sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator.