Apple Crisp for One

Apple Crisp for One is buttery, sweet and full of apple-y goodness, all while being gluten free!

 

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to everyone! While today I am deliberately doing no cooking (the kitchen has been usurped in favour of turkey / stuffing / potatoes, etc), I did have a chance to whip up a few little Thanksgiving-y desserts. The first round of baking featured mini-versions of my "famous" apple butter pumpkin pie - one for yesterday's feast with Dad, the other for my boyfriend's mom. Now, I'm really not a fan of pumpkin pie at all (yeah yeah, I know), my mom's apple pie has always been the perfect ending to fall dinners. She doesn't add sugar, uses a simple, shortening-based crust, and packs each pie with as many apples as she can fit. 

That said, while tonight will feature mom's signature pie, not everyone is a fan of the dessert. The boyfriend (A) is one person who doesn't enjoy pie crust, and loves his fillings sticky-sweet. So, instead of leaving him dessert-less this holiday, yesterday I whipped up an apple crisp perfect for one, fitting neatly into a little stoneware ramekin. While the methodology of crisp-making remained the same, I added a few little flairs of my own. First, since A is lactose intolerant, I used a fantastic lactose free butter I found - it tasted like European style cultured butter but wasn't labeled as such. The second thing I did was to change up the filling a bit. Instead of your standard sugar-flour combination, I used honey, cornstarch, a pinch of nutmeg and a dash of vanilla. Finally, I bumped up the protein in the "crisp" portion by swapping out the all-purpose flour for red lentil flour that I had ground in my Mockmill - it adds no taste, but adds a lovely colour and extra nutrition.

At any rate, this apple crisp is a satisfying, early-fall comfort food that not only is perfect for Thanksgiving dessert but even a decadent breakfast! What is your favourite fall dessert? Comment below!

Apple Crisp for One
Serves 1
1 large apple (I used honeycrisp), peeled and chopped
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp cornstarch
pinch nutmeg

Topping:
1 tbsp red lentil flour (you could use any flour, I ground my own)
2 tbsp large-flake rolled oats (I used gluten free)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tbsp butter, melted

1. Heat the oven to 350F and grease an 8-oz ramekin.
2. In a bowl, toss together the apple, honey, cornstarch and nutmeg until well combined. 
3. Scrape into the ramekin and set aside.
4. In the bowl (no need to clean) combine the flour, oats, cinnamon, sugar and butter until a moist crumble forms. Add a little water or apple juice if necessary.
5. Pack the topping onto the apples in the ramekin, pressing down firmly. 
6. Place ramekin on a baking sheet and place in the oven.
7. Bake 25 minutes, until bubbly. Cool completely.
8. Reheat gently (about 15-20 mins in a 300F oven) before serving if desired.