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Apple Crisp for Two Without Oats

These two apple crisps have a flour-and-butter crumb topping with no oats or nuts. Thin apple slices cook beneath cinnamon crumbs in individual ramekins, so each portion has its own browned top. Choose firm apples and keep the slices even; the topping can brown before thick pieces of fruit soften.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Cooling before serving 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 2 ramekins
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 medium firm apples about 250 g peeled and cored; thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar for filling
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice for filling
  • 2 teaspoons water for filling
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon for filling
  • 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour for filling
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 30 g; for topping
  • 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar 25 g; for topping
  • 2 tablespoons butter 28 g; cold and cubed, for topping
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon for topping
  • 1 pinch fine salt for topping

Equipment

  • 1 Two 10-ounce oven-safe ramekins
  • 1 Baking tray
  • 1 Mixing bowls
  • 1 Peeler and knife

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Set two 10-ounce oven-safe ramekins on a baking tray. Peel and core the apples, then slice them thinly and evenly. If your apples are very large, measure about 250 g of prepared fruit and save the extra for another use.
  2. Toss the apple slices with the granulated sugar, lemon juice, water, filling cinnamon and teaspoon of flour. Divide between the ramekins, arranging the slices loosely. Leave some room below the rim for the topping and for bubbling fruit juice. Do not press the slices into a dense stack.
  3. Mix the topping flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips, or cut it in with a fork, until small and medium crumbs form. Scatter the crumbs over both ramekins without flattening them into a solid lid.
  4. Bake for about 30–35 minutes, until the topping is golden and the filling bubbles at the edges. Slip a small knife through a gap to check that the apples are tender. If the topping browns first, loosely cover with foil and keep baking until the fruit softens. Cool for ten minutes before serving; the filling will still be hot.

Notes

Recipe development note: This formulation has not been kitchen-tested. Preparation times are estimates; follow the texture checks and product instructions.
Use two oven-safe ramekins with a capacity of about 10 ounces each and leave space below the rim. The approximate apple quantity is two medium apples, or about 250 g after peeling and coring. Fruit size varies, so divide the prepared slices between the dishes rather than forcing oversized apples into them.
Brown crumbs alone do not show that the fruit underneath has finished cooking. Check a slice near the middle of each ramekin. Thin, consistent slices and a loose arrangement help the apples soften at a similar rate.
If the topping seems powdery before baking, work the butter through the dry ingredients a little more until some clumps form. If it becomes a smooth paste, the butter may be too warm. Chill the topping briefly rather than adding more flour and changing the proportions.
Refrigerate leftovers in covered containers within two hours, or within one hour above 90°F (32°C). Keep at 40°F (4°C) or below and use within three to four days. Reheat until the center reaches 165°F (74°C). Microwaving softens the topping; an oven can restore some crispness, but watch the crumbs so they do not scorch. Add ice cream only to the portion being served.