Autumn Comfort Food--Apple Crisp

I remember my mom making apple crisp often when I was growing up. Apple crisp speaks of autumn, rosy cheeks, vibrant leaves, scarves.  And running home from the bus stop after school and bursting into the kitchen where we were greeted by the mouth-watering scents of cinnamon, nutmeg and baking apples.

I've been hankering for apple crisp for the last couple of weeks. Warm, crunchy-soft, apple-y. Delicious. Oh, and easy. Let's not forget easy. I finally got around to making it last night.

This is the piece I ate for breakfast this morning. Yes, there is ice cream on it. So? Ice cream is dairy right? There's fruit in there. And oatmeal. Sounds like a well-balanced breakfast to me.

The apples in this dessert are soft and sweet with just a hint of their former tang. As the crisp bakes the apples sort of simmer in this delicious caramel-y sauce that forms from the apples' juices, the brown sugar and the margarine. The crust is reminiscent of a crispy oatmeal cookie. Serve it up with good vanilla bean ice cream melting over the top, maybe drizzle a tiny bit of caramel over it if you are feeling extra decadent, and you've got yourself a little piece of paradise.

Are you drooling yet? I am.

Below is the recipe my mom always made. There is another recipe that my amazing friend, Danielle posted HERE that I want to try too. Hers has pecans, so I'm pretty sure it is going to be fantastic.

8 to 10 apples (I don't bother peeling mine)
1 cup flour
1 cup margarine 
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups oatmeal (I use old-fashioned as opposed to instant)
3/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the apples into a buttered 9x13 baking dish. To make the topping combine the remaining ingredients with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes.
Serve warm (with vanilla ice cream) or cold.