CARDAMOM-SCENTED APPLE CRISP

This week Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla chose Mark Bittman's recipe for Cardamom Scented Pear Crisp. I didn't have time to make it on the weekend but after reading how much all the Food Matters Project Members enjoyed this healthy crisp I decided to give it a try.  I used apples instead of pears and followed the recipe as written.

Cardamom... a spice I have only used in Indian cooking and that was many years ago. I could not recall the taste. I purchased a jar and WOW!! It's EXOTIC! It's SEXY! No wonder Cleopatra used it to perfume her palace apartments!

Try this crisp. It's delicious, healthy, and so easy to make.

You can also check out what the other members did with their crisps here.

CARDAMOM-SCENTED APPLE CRISP

4 TBSP. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan

2TBSP. vegetable oil

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1 TBSP. lemon juice

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Pinch of salt

3 pounds apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 tsp. cardamom

Heat oven to 400~. Grease an 8-9 inch square or round baking dish with a little butter. Cream the 4 TBSP. butter, oil, and sugar together using an electric mixer or fork. Stir in the nuts, lemon juice, oats, flour, and salt until combined and crumbly. (You can make topping ahead to this point; tightly wrap, and refrigerate for up to a day or freeze for up to several weeks; thaw before proceeding.)

Put the apples in the prepared dish, sprinkle with the cardamom, and toss. Crumble the topping over all. Bake until the filling is bubbly and the crust is just starting to brown, 30-40 minutes. Serve immediately, or at least while still warm.

Recipe by Mark Bittman