eat me: apple crisp.

Fall is one of my favourite seasons.  I love the crisp air, the leaves, scarves.  I love getting to switch from bright colours to wine reds, blacks, greys and navys.  I love being cozy.  I also really love the desserts that come with cooler weather, now that turning on the oven is a welcome gesture.  Pumpkins, pies, tarts, and anything apple & cinnamon.  I never get tired of apples and cinnamon, and will happily eat them in a variety of recipes all year long.  However, they somehow taste better when the leaves start to fall.

Apple crisp is one of the best combinations of those two flavours.  Simple,warm, and a mix of sweet & tart it is the perfect treat for a fall afternoon.

Apple Crisp.  (modified from this recipe at Katy's Kitchen.)

6 apples.  I like to use 3 granny smiths and 3 gala apples so that it's not too tart.
1/2 C. brown sugar.
3/4 C. flour.
1 C.  rolled oats.
a little less than 1/2 C. butter, room temperature.  (I found the original recipe a bit too buttery so I took out a few tablespoons of butter. Do as you like.)
2 tsp.  cinnamon.

1.  peel and core the apples and place into a baking pan.  I used a 2.5" 8"x8" pan for this version, but I've also made it in a 9"x13" pan, it just resulted in a much thinner layer of apples and will cook a bit quicker.

2.  mix together the sugar, flour, oats and cinnamon.

3.  add in the butter in small pieces, cutting it in with a pastry blender or crumbling it in with your fingers, stop when the butter is evenly distributed throughout the mixture, making sure there isn't any large chunks of butter remaining.  pour over your apples.

4. bake at 350 degrees for 30 miutes, until the top is brown and crisp and the apples are bubbling.  If you're baking in a glass pan remember to turn the temperature down by 25 degrees.

Enjoy your apple crisp warm or cold, curled up with a blanket on your couch with your favourite person.  Enjoy!  xo, T.

recipe: lemon squares {& happy easter!}

Happy Easter everyone!  I hope you're enjoying your weekend, have eaten plenty of chocolate bunnies and that it's finally starting to fee like spring, wherever you are!  It was actually above zero in Winnipeg yesterday! Hooray!

One of my absolute favourite warm weather desserts are lemon squares.  I love love love citrus-y things. I could eat lemon curd with a spoon, and have done so, on multiple occasions, actually..

Anyways, I present to you my most favourite recipe for lemon squares, the epitome of picnics, sundresses and carefree sunny afternoons!

Lemon Squares. modified from here.

Crust:
3/4 C. butter, room temperature.
1/2 C. sugar.
2 C. unbleached flour.

Filling:
4 eggs.
1 C. sugar.
zest of two lemons.
juice of 3 lemons (approx. 3/4C.)
1/4 C. unbleached flour.
1 tsp. baking powder.
1 tbsp. icing sugar.

1_grease a 13" x 9" pan and line with parchment paper.

2_beat butter and sugar until fluffy, approx. 5 minutes.  add flour and mix until incorporated.  it will be super crumbly, so don't worry!  press into your prepared baking pan and bake at 325 degrees until golden, 25 minutes or so.  if you're using a glass baking pan remember to always lower the temperature by 25 degrees.
3_make the filling.  in a mixer beat the eggs and sugar until pale and thickened.  5-8 minutes.
4_add zest, juice and dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.  
5_pour over your crust and bake at 325 degrees until set, around 25-30 minutes.  let cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar and cutting into squares.  Enjoy!

Have a splendid week in the sunshine! xo, T.