Apple Crisps of Autumn in Splendid Variation

We all look forward to particular seasons of the year, as well as to the foods that come with them, and relish their annual coming-around with an almost childish delight; there are winter holidays of every shade and stripe, the beginning of summer, the Fourth of July, birthdays and more. A day that I greet with the brightest burst of enthusiasm, and with the reassuring sense that fall is almost on our doorstep, is the one on which I spy the first crisp apples of September. At their welcome sight, I press on with confidence and gather ingredients because I know that apple crisp season is almost here.

In the realm of dessert, the crisp may be the finest friend a home cook has. It’s so much easier to make than pie and yet not a sweet to shirk at because, in its rustic simplicity, it’s lovely to behold and delicious, too. And to its list of virtues we can add that its blend of  fruits, whole grains and nuts actually nourishes us.

Preparing wholesome sweets may have developed my kitchen skills more than any other endeavor, and experimenting with whole grains and natural sweeteners for baking has led me to results that have endeared these ingredients to me. I have come to treasure them, as you will too, for their flavors and for the nutrition they bring to a part of my cooking where I least expect to find it. It’s true that a crisp calls for sweetener, but we can rely on natural options and then use them wisely. I’d say that once we step into the realm of sweets, a crisp is everything a dessert should be.

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