Apple Crisp
Source: The Heart of Hollis-The Hollis Woman’s Club 1998
Submitted by: Official Apple Festival Recipe
Location: Desserts, page 93
 
I love apple pie, but when I don’t feel like taking the time to prepare pie dough there is no better tasting apple dessert than apple crisp. This easy to make, no fuss cousin to apple pie has a tradition here in Hollis going back to 1967 when the first Apple Festival was held. 
Below is the Hollis Woman’s Club official Apple Festival apple crisp recipe. Over the years I have adjusted the recipe to include sugar and apple cider vinegar tossed with the apples before they go into the pan. I find that these additions really bump up the flavor of the apples. Another change I made is I do not peel my apples. I know this sounds crazy, but it saves lots of time and effort and the skins soften during the baking. Give it a try and see what you think. 
The streusel-like topping is delicious as originally written but I added one teaspoon of salt and that took it up a notch for me. If you want to add chopped nuts to the topping, go ahead. You really can’t go wrong. 
The Woman’s Club recipe is baked in a 9x13-inch pan. Spreading your apples over a larger surface creates a greater topping-to-apple ratio. If you want even more topping, increase your topping recipe. If you prefer a more apples-to-topping apple crisp, bake your crisp in a 9x9-inch pan and use less topping.
When its apple baking time, I choose a variety of different apples to combine in my recipes. I combine varieties that are firm, soft, tart, and sweet all baked together under a pie crust or crisp topping. 
Did you know that apple crisp can be baked and then frozen? You can also prepare several batches of the topping and freeze them to use any time you feel like making an apple crisp or other fruit crisp. 
One last tip, traditionally apple crisp is served plain but I love to serve it with a dollop of sweetened sour cream. If you really want to stick to tradition, serve your apple crisp just like the Hollis Woman’s Club always did with a side of Doc Davis’s ice cream or a plop of homemade whipped cream. However you prepare or serve your apple crisp remember to visit Hollis’ farmstands for the best apples in New Hampshire!
 
Apple Crisp-Official Apple Festival Recipe by the Hollis Woman’s Club
Makes one 9x13-inch pan
8 cups apples peeled and sliced. Cortland apples 
¾ cup dark brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup oats
¾ cup flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Fill a 9 X 13 pan with the sliced apples.  
2. Combine the topping ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix until coarse crumbs form.  Cover the apples with the topping.
3. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the apples are cooked and soft.

 
Liz’s Recipe Notes:

1. I use about 8 apples-I like lots of apples. Choose a variety of apples-Cortland, Jonna Gold, Spartan, Honey Crisp
2. Leave the peels on when you slice the apples. Use a 12-blade apple slicer to speed things up!
3. Toss the apples with ¼ to 1/3 cup sugar and add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
4. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt to the topping mixture. 
5. Cook until the apples are bubbling. That way you know for sure they are cooked.

​Recently, I pulled out my small collection of Hollis community cookbooks and began turning the pages. It was like stepping back in time. These endearing books were created by Hollis community groups as fundraisers and sold at various festivals and Old Home Days celebrations. Each book is a collection of tried-and-true family favorites, potluck specialties, and social hour regulars. The recipes provide a peek into a place and a time like a culinary historical record. Ingredient lists, cooking instructions, and recipe themes all tell part of a larger story about the times in which the recipes were created and give a glimpse into the lives of the home cooks who filled the pages with their favorite recipes.
As I turned the pages of these modest little books, I recognized recipes I have tasted at potluck dinners and club social hours. I see names that are memorialized on street signs and in stories often shared at club meetings over coffee-hour pastries. I love seeing the names of the ladies who have played a quiet part in Hollis’s history and in my life since we moved here in 1999. These ladies, neighbors, and friends nourished their families, shared their wisdom of cooking and life, and created a delicious record for us all to savor. I hope you enjoy the recipes as much as I do.

​Liz