simple desserts – Meghan E White

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The smell of cinnamon and butter fills the air as the apple crisp cooks in the oven. It gives all the fall feels with each warm, crunchy, sweet bite. You get the goodness of an apple pie, without the fuss of making a pie crust. The most time consuming part of making this dessert is peeling and slicing the apples.

Use your favorite apples. I have made this with galas, honey crisp, and Granny Smiths. All are good, just depends on your preference. Pecans or walnuts would be a wonderful addition to the topping for some extra crunch and flavor.

For a simple delicious fall bake apple crisp is a winner. Your taste buds will thank you for taking the time to make this satisfying treat. Top it off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for perfection on a plate.

Happy Eating!

Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings, Psalm 17:8

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Apple Crisp

Filling

6 apples peeled, cored, and sliced or chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Topping

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup cold cubed butter

1 cup old fashioned oats

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.
Butter a 2.5 quart baking dish.
In a large mixing bowl add the apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, and sugar. Toss until evenly combined.
Place prepared apples in buttered casserole dish.
In a medium bowl add flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, and oats. Using a pastry cutter, or your hands, mix together until it gets crumbly. Spread evenly over the apples.
Bake for 45 minutes until the topping is golden brown and bubbly.
Let cool for a few minutes before serving. It’s best enjoyed warm.

Notes

Store apple crisp covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To reheat bake in a 350° oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until warm.
You can also warm up individual servings in the microwave.

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Do you love toffee? Do you love chocolate? How about chocolate and toffee together? Have you ever had Almond Roca? It’s one of my husband’s favorite candies. You can experience the incredible flavor of Almond Roca with this very simple bar recipe.

I have been making Almond Roca bars for twenty-five years. Yikes, that means I’m old. Wisdom comes with age, right? So take my wise advice, and make these scrumptious bars. They are easy to make and absolutely delightful.

A soft buttery toffee crust topped with Hershey chocolate and crunchy almonds is a winning combo. Almond Roca bars are great to give out as gifts. You can cut them small or large. You can make the almonds chunky or really fine. Both ways are very good. These bars get devoured every time I make them.

Enjoy Almond Roca without all of the fuss of making candy. This decadent dessert tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen. The longest part of making these bars is waiting for them to set up. Give these amazing Almond Roca bars a try. You will be so glad you did.

Happy Eating!

All things are possible to him who believes. Mark 9:23

Almond Roca Bars

Ingredients

1 cup softened butter

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 egg yolk

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

4 to 6 Hershey chocolate bars

1 ½ cups finely chopped almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°
Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment or aluminum foil. Extend the paper or foil beyond the edges to easily remove the bars from the pan.
In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugars using a hand mixer.
Add the egg yolk and mix until combined.
Add the flour and baking powder. Mix until combined. The batter will be smooth and thick.
Spread onto the bottom of the prepared pan.
Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
When the crust is out of the oven and still hot, lay the Hershey bars on top and let them sit for about 30 seconds so the chocolate can melt. Carefully spread the melted chocolate over the crust. Do not tear the crust.
Sprinkle chopped almonds over the melted chocolate.
Cool completely and cut into bars.

Notes

The batter for the crust is thick like peanut butter. It will take a few minutes to carefully spread it out onto the parchment or foil
Using foil/parchment makes removing and cutting the bars much easier.
Place the baked bars in the fridge to cool faster.
They are easier to cut when they are completely cool.
Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature.