Apples, Apples and More Apples

We went on our annual apple picking expedition in the Blue Ridge Mountains last Sunday and came back with 2 bags of apples--1 of Granny Smiths (the Man is SUPPOSED to bake pies) and one with Yorks. Not my favorite apple for cooking--I'm a New York Macintosh girl--but usable.

I've already made a batch of my Grandma Esther's pink applesauce. I am planning a batch of Apple Cranberry Muffins and pouring over recipes for apple cakes. There's also a baked donut maker we inherited from Nanay, and I am going to experiment and see if I can make apple cider donuts almost as good (and a lot healthier) than the ones we savor on each apple picking expedition. (From Apple House in Linden, VA).  But tonight I just wanted to make a quick dessert.

I swear that I posted a recipe for Berry Oatmeal Crumble Cake, based on "Berry Oatmeal Crumble Bars" at the outstanding Baking Bites website. But I keep searching the archives and can't find it.

Therefore I present this riff on the recipe, with apples, cranberries and cinnamon. I also use canola oil instead of the butter you'll find in the original recipe.

SC ate 2 servings for dessert tonight. It's that good. And I am going to use up some more of those apples and make another cake to take to work!

Apple-Cranberry Oatmeal Crumble Cake

The filling:
3 cups apples, peeled and diced
cranberries(I threw in a handful. Say about 1/4- 1/2 cup)
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 c sugar
2T cornstarch

Place apples, cranberries and lemon juice in a saucepan. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until the apples soften. 

Combine the cornstarch and sugar and add it to the saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 1-3 minutes, until thickened, stirring so it doesn't burn.  Let it cool while you make the crumble:

The crust/crumble:

1 1/2 cups oatmeal (quick or regular)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Grease a 9x13 pan.
Combine ingredients in a food processor, blend and pulse until the mixture is crumbly.
Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the mixture and put the rest in the greased pan, patting it down to cover the entire bottom.
Spread the apple/cranberry filling across the crust. Use your fingers to distribute the crumble on top of the fruit until it is full covered.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes.
Serve warm or cold, plain or topped with a little whipped cream.

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