Apple Crisp, National Picnic Style

Pictured: This recipe needed to go live while I wasn't near my kitchen. Here's a pic of the wonderful porch I was enjoying as I worked on my laptop: Victorian Bed and Breakfast of Staten Island.

Here's the secret: Odense Almond Paste. Their own website has a recipe for crisp but it has raisins (not a fan, at least for apple crisp) and no mention of spices (fan). It's available on Amazon if you can't find it—we get it at Shop Rite for $4.99. (this plug is not sponsored, prices for paste can vary greatly--it seems to be the best price)

Clove is also a spice not mentioned in most recipes that I like to add for its aroma and unique taste.

6 apples, peeled and chopped (granny smith is my favorite)

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon, divided

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup old fashioned oats

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 stick Odense almond paste, grated

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350˚ F degrees.

Butter an 8x8 baking dish, or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, toss chopped apples with granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp of the cinnamon. Stir to combine, then transfer to prepared baking dish. In a separate mixing bowl, combine topping ingredients (brown sugar, oats, grated almond paste, flour, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, clove, salt, and diced cold butter). Use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the oat mixture until mixture is in pea-sized crumbs.

Spread topping over apples in the baking dish.

Bake 40-50 minutes, until bubbly. Serve warm AND with ice cream if you have it :)

Tip: Grate ALL the almond paste, DOUBLE THE BATCH and freeze the other half of the topping, so the next time you want apple crisp, you can pull the topping out and it's all ready.