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Apple Crisp: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter, or spray with a non stick cooking spray, a 9 inch (23 cm) deep dish pie pan or an 8 inch (20 cm) square baking dish with 2 inch (5 cm) sides.

Topping: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Using a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour mixture until you have coarse crumbs. Then stir in the rolled oats and chopped nuts. Set aside while you prepare the filling.

Filling: Place the apple chunks in a large bowl, along with the berries (if using). Toss with the lemon juice and sugar. Transfer to your prepared baking dish. Spread the topping evenly over the apples.

Bake for approximately 30 - 40 minutes or until bubbly and the topping is golden brown. (If you insert the tip of a sharp knife into a chunk of apple, it should be tender, not mushy.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

Serve with softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Refrigerate leftovers and reheat before serving.

Makes about 6 servings.

Apple Crisp belongs to a long line of simple baked desserts that combine fresh fruit with a topping. Crisps, Crumbles, Cobblers, Grunts, Brown Betty, and Pandowdies may be called old-fashioned and homey, but having a dessert of warm baked fruit topped with a tasty crust is hard to resist.

An Apple Crisp has a streusel-like topping made from a mixture of flour, white and brown sugars, ground cinnamon, and butter, along with rolled oats and nuts. Now, a 'Crisp' differs slightly from a 'Crumble' in that a Crumble typically doesn't contain rolled oats or nuts. The name 'Crisp' comes from the fact that when you pull this dessert from the oven you will notice how wonderfully crisp the topping has become. Apple Crisps are especially popular during the fall and winter months which just happens to coincide with the apple's harvest time. Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Gala, and Honeycrisp, to name a few, make an excellent Apple Crisp. But if you can, use locally grown apples as their flavor and texture are superior to those found in grocery stores. And you may want to try combining two or more varieties of apples which makes for a flavorful Apple Crisp as does adding a handful of fresh raspberries or blackberries.