📖 Instructions

1. Alright, let's kick things off by preheating your oven to 375°F (190°C). This ensures your apple crisp will bake evenly.
2. Now, grab your apple (Honeycrisp are my fav) and peel, core, and dice it into small, bite-sized pieces. I usually go for around 1/2 inch cubes – just enough to get that perfect soft texture when baked. I made the mistake once of cutting them too big, they were still crunchy, lol.
3. In your mixing bowl, toss the diced apple with 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar, and a pinch of ground cinnamon. Make sure everything is coated evenly – this helps create a nice, slightly thickened sauce as it bakes.
4. Next up, let's make the crumble topping. In the same bowl (less dishes, yay!), combine 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons of rolled oats, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. I love the smell of cinnamon; it's like autumn in a bowl.
5. Add 2 tablespoons of cold butter, cut into small cubes, to the dry ingredients. Using a fork or your fingers, cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. The colder the butter, the better the crumble texture will be! It's important to get this right so that butter doesn't melt before baking.
6. Now, grease your small oven-safe dish with a bit of butter or cooking spray. This will prevent the crisp from sticking and make cleanup a breeze. I learned this the hard way the first time I tried this recipe, what a mess.
7. Pour the apple mixture into the prepared dish, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the apples, covering as much surface area as possible. I always feel so proud at this step, like an artist creating a masterpiece. Okay, maybe that's an over exageration.
8. Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the apples are tender. Keep an eye on it – ovens can vary, and you don't want the topping to burn.
9. Once baked, remove the apple crisp from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving. This is crucial – molten apple filling is no joke!
10. Serve warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, if desired. The contrast between the warm crisp and cold ice cream is heavenly!