Apple Crisp (raw, easy, gluten-free, and delicious)

Hey, y’all! Sorry I’ve been away for so long. I’ve been busy with other things, and also doing some tweaking of my own eating habits. I’ve discovered, much to my dismay, that gluten and I aren’t really friends. I can eat small amounts of gluten, but consuming it regularly doesn’t really do my body any favors. So, it’s a really good thing that I quit baking professionally when I did and went to massage school!

While there, I shared this raw Apple Crisp with my fellow students, and our anatomy/physiology teacher who was a raw foods enthusiast. There were cheers all ’round. It is really wonderful! It’s easy, sweet, satisfying, and doesn’t taste “raw” at all. I highly recommend it as an antidote to all the buttery, gluten-laden “treats” being foisted on all and sundry during the holiday season. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m sure this would be fantastic with some dried cranberries standing in for some of the raisins…

From the book Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People by Jennifer Cornbleet (Book Publishing Company, 2005).

Apple Crisp
Yield: one 8-inch crisp, 8 servings

2 apples, peeled* and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 apples, peeled* and chopped
1/2 cup pitted medjool dates, soaked 10-30 minutes in warm water
1/2 cup raisins, soaked 10-30 minutes in warm water
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups Crumble Topping (see recipe below)

Toss the sliced apples with 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and set aside. Place the chopped apples, dates, raisins, cinnamon, and the remaining tablespoon of lemon juice in a food processor fitted with the “S” blade and process until smooth. Remove from the food processor and mix with the sliced apples.

To assemble the crisp, press 1/2 cup of the Crumble Topping into an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Spread the apple filling on top using a rubber spatula. Chill at least 1 hour.

Using your hands, knead pieces of the remaining 1 1/2 cups of the Crumble Topping until they stick together. Lay these pieces of topping on the apple filling to form a cobbled appearance, allowing some of the filling to peek through. Serve at room temperature, or warm in a low oven or dehydrator (see note). Covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator, Apple Crisp will keep for 3 days.

Note: To warm, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Turn off the oven, insert the Apple Crisp, and warm for 15 minutes. Alternatively, heat the Apple Crisp for 30 minutes in a food dehydrator set at 105 degrees F.

*Lisa’s notes: I use organic Pink Lady apples (a sweet-tart variety with an attractive and sweet peel) and never bother to peel them. If you’re using non-organic produce, or if you’re using apples with a bitter peel, then of course, peel them by all means.

Crumble Topping
Yield: 2 cups, 8 servings

2 cups raw walnuts or pecans, unsoaked
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins, unsoaked
8 pitted medjool dates, unsoaked
1/4 cup whole cane sugar or maple sugar, optional (for a sweeter topping) [Lisa’s note: I thought this was plenty sweet enough with out the sugar]

Place the nuts, coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a food processor fitted with the “S” blade and process until coarsely ground. Add the raisins and dates and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and starts to stick together. Don’t over-process. Add the optional whole cane sugar and process briefly. Stored in a sealed container, Crumble Topping will keep for one month in the refrigerator or three months in the freezer.