Paleo Apple Crisp

I only have one shot of this goodness because honestly? I was just trying to use up a bunch of ingredients before they went bad. I peeled, chopped, zested, mixed and crumbled for a few minutes and then stuck a 2-quart Le Creuset baking dish in the oven. 45 minutes later I pulled that same dish out, inhaled the goodness within, and counted down the minutes til the danger of burning my mouth was less likely.

Last weekend we hung out with my parents, traipsing through downtown Little Rock and seeing what all it had to offer. After a few other trips I realized I had yet to pay a visit to Heifer Village at Heifer International, so off we went to discover whatever they had to offer. I’ll spare the details at this moment, but it’s a lot and for anyone who ever visits I would highly recommend spending some time immersing yourself (and your people) in the lessons to be learned there. A heavy dose of reality for the rest of the world was sobering, although much needed, and we have two little boys who are begging to go back.

What does this have to do with apple crisp? Well, I’m so glad you asked 🙂 While we were there we also had a chance to stroll through their urban garden and my kids saw apple trees for the first time. For me it was a really sweet moment, being with them as they discovered something new, but also to give them a teensy bit of my own history as well. I grew up in West Texas where orchards are rare and cotton is king, but in my own back yard – literally – we had two apple trees. Every fall we would collect a handful of apples and my mom would make her chunky applesauce that we would then spoon over everything in the kitchen, namely pancakes in the mornings. It was my very first garden-to-table experience, one that I will remember fondly forever. There was something about those apples from our garden – no other applesauce was ever so special as the batches that were made from fruit grown in our soil.

So yes, this apple crisp is just an apple crisp that just so happens to be paleo-friendly. It’s delicious, naturally sweetened, big on flavor and my favorite textures. But even more than that it’s a memory in a 2-quart Le Creuset baking dish, a reminder of the magic of simple cooking and simple living. Enjoy!

PALEO APPLE CRISP

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 1/4-inch cubes
• juice and zest from one orange
• 1/3 cup dried cherries (make sure there’s no extra sugar added)
• 5 tablespoons tapioca starch, divided
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 3/4 cup almond meal
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup chopped whole almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray or additional coconut oil.
3. In a large bowl toss together the apples, orange juice and orange zest, dried cherries, and 2 tablespoons of tapioca starch.
4. Pour the apple mixture into the prepared baking dish.
5. In the same bowl combine the coconut oil, almond meal, coconut flour, honey, cinnamon, sea salt and almonds.
6. Evenly distribute the crumble mixture on top of the apples.
7. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes until the top is golden brown and crisp.
8. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.
9. Serve hot or at room temperature.