Americas Test Kitchen Skillet Apple Crisp Recipes

SKILLET APPLE CRISP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the crumb topping: In a medium bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt using a fork or pastry cutter. Cut the butter into small pieces and gradually add it to the flour mixture until evenly mixed. Set aside.
• For the apple filling: In an 8-inch cast-iron skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the apple slices and a pinch of salt and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and lemon juice.
• Cover the apple filling in the skillet evenly with the crumb topping. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until crisp and brown on top, an additional 20 to 30 minutes.
• Serve with vanilla ice cream.

AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN SKILLET APPLE CRISP

Steps:

• FOR THE TOPPING: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine flour, pecans, oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl. Stir in butter until mixture is thoroughly moistened and crumbly. Set aside while preparing fruit filling.
• FOR THE FILLING: Toss apples, granulated sugar, and cinnamon (if using) together in large bowl; set aside. Bring cider to simmer in 12-inch ovensafe skillet over medium heat; cook until reduced to ½ cup, about 5 minutes. Transfer reduced cider to bowl or liquid measuring cup; stir in lemon juice and set aside.
• Heat butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add apple mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until apples begin to soften and become translucent, 12 to 14 minutes. (Do not fully cook apples.) Remove pan from heat and gently stir in cider mixture until apples are coated.
• Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit, breaking up any large chunks. Place skillet on baking sheet and bake until fruit is tender and topping is deep golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack until warm, at least 15 minutes, and serve.

THE BEST APPLE CRISP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• For the filling: Whisk together the brown sugar, flour, apple cider, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. Peel and core the apples and cut into chunks. Add the apples to the brown sugar mixture and toss to combine.
• Transfer the apple mixture to the prepared baking dish in an even layer.
• For the topping: Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter cubes and use your fingers to completely work the butter into the flour mixture. The mixture should hold its shape when squeezed.
• Sprinkle the crumble topping over the filling, squeezing some of the mixture into small clumps. Bake until the filling is bubbly, the apples are tender and the topping is golden brown, about 1 hour.
• Let sit for at least 45 minutes and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

SKILLET APPLE PIE -- AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN

Steps:

• 1. FOR THE CRUST: Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined. Add shortening and process until mixture has texture of coarse sand, about ten 1-second pulses. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture and process until mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse crumbs, with butter bits no larger than small peas, about ten 1-second pulses. Transfer mixture to medium bowl.
• 2. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons ice water over mixture. With blade of rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix. Press down on dough with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together, adding up to 1 tablespoon more ice water if dough does not come together. Turn dough out onto sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into 4-inch disk. Wrap dough and refrigerate 30 minutes, or up to 2 days, before rolling out. (If dough is refrigerated longer than 1 hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable.).
• 3. FOR THE FILLING: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (between 7 and 9 inches from heating element) and heat oven to 500 degrees. Whisk cider, syrup, lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon (if using) together in medium bowl until smooth. Heat butter in 12-inch heatproof skillet over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add apples and cook, stirring 2 or 3 times until apples begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes. (Do not fully cook apples.) Remove pan from heat, add cider mixture, and gently stir until apples are well coated. Set aside to cool slightly.
• 4. TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: Roll out dough on lightly floured work surface, or between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap, to 11-inch circle. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll over apple filling. Brush dough with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. With sharp knife, gently cut dough into 6 pieces by making 1 vertical cut followed by 2 evenly spaced horizontal cuts (perpendicular to first cut). Bake until apples are tender and crust is a deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes; serve.

SKILLET CARAMEL-APPLE CRISP

Steps:

• Make the caramel sauce: Add the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water to a 3-quart saucepan and stir to combine. Add the butter and set it over medium-high heat, but do not stir. Cook, without stirring, until the butter and sugar have completely melted and started to bubble, 4 to 5 minutes.
• After the mixture has begun to brown at the edges, use a heatproof spatula to carefully stir it occasionally until it is deep golden brown and beginning to smoke just slightly, about 4 to 5 minutes. Do not walk away from the pan during this process as the caramel will go from perfectly golden to burned in moments.
• When the mixture is deep golden, remove the pan from the heat, and carefully whisk in the heavy cream. The mixture will expand and sputter before turning into a smooth sauce. Add the vanilla and salt. If the caramel is at all lumpy, return the pan to the stove on low heat and whisk until smooth. You should have about 2 cups. Carefully pour the caramel into a heat-safe container to cool.
• Prepare the filling: Heat your oven to 350 degrees and set a rack in the center. Peel, core and slice the apples into 1/2-inch slices, removing any bruised bits if necessary. Combine the sliced apples, lemon juice, spices and salt in a large bowl, and stir to combine. Drizzle 1/2 cup caramel sauce over the top and stir again. Scrape the apples and all of their juices into a 9- or 10-inch oven-safe skillet.
• Make the topping: In the same bowl, combine the flour, oats, pecans, sugar and salt. Stir until well combined, then add the butter and mash it into the dry ingredients with your fingers until crumbs form. Pour the crumb topping evenly over the apples. Bake the crisp until the topping is golden and the juices are bubbling, 40 to 50 minutes. Serve warm with more warm caramel sauce and ice cream. Store any remaining sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week. It can be rewarmed for later use in a saucepan over low heat.