Apples Galore #1

I'm such a sucker for anything in miniature. I went to the market yesterday to buy some chicken and veggies, what I came out with were 12 MINI-Granny smith apples. What?? There is such a thing?! You betcha. They were honestly THE CUTEST THINGS EVER! Take a look...



Here's a normal Gala and my little granny side by side:


Can it be any cuter?? Alright, enough gushing. On to my dessert! Since I unnecessarily bought so many apples, I decided to make 2 desserts. One was inspired by the apple tarte tatin I saw on Julie & Julia, and the other was something I have always wanted to try, apple crisp.

For the apple crisp, I adapted it to make it as healthy as possible. I substituted the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour and the white sugar for splenda with a tablespoon of brown sugar. The apple crisp came out OK, although it definitely tasted better the second day. Hm. In addition, this apple crisp should only be eaten hot. I don't know how anyone could ever want it or like it cold.

Here are the little apples cut up.


The crumble on top...


The final product before going into the oven.


Apple crisp recipe found on Gourmet Gal:

FILLING
6 cups sliced, peeled apples
1 tsp. cinnamon (I used a LOT more, like 2 tablespoons)
1 tbsp. water
1 tsp. lemon juice

TOPPING
1 cup rolled oats (I used Quaker 1 Minute Instant)
3/4 cup All Purpose flour (I used whole wheat flour)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used Splenda)
1/2 cup butter (you could use margarine to cut down on fat)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place cut apples in an ungreased dish (you can use round, oblong or square). Sprinkle with cinnamon, water and lemon juice. Toss to evenly coat apples. In a separate bowl, combine all topping ingredients until crumbly and then spoon evenly over apples. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes until golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream!