Oatmeal Apple Fig Crisp

So I love the fall.  Everyone loves fall, right?  Well, me, I'm extending the love to August, which promises the anticipation of fall.  No one loves August, I don't think.  But I do.  I love the slow quiet days, the bright colors, back-to-school shopping, and early apples.
We picked some early apples last weekend.  And it was clear to me, when I noticed that my fruit basket was about to overflow, that something had to to be done.

And so, I did it.  I surprised my husband with a warm, apple fig crisp for dessert following our meatloaf the other night.  I felt like a very good and proper wife, serving meatloaf and apple crisp on a Sunday night.

(I watched a lot of the Donna Reed Show on Nick at Nite during my formative years.  It apparently had a big impact.  Really big.  I wear aprons.)

And now, a few notes for the chef...this crisp recipe is adapted from You've Got It Made, by Diane Phillips.  This is a great little volume about make ahead meals, with many that can be frozen, including this one.  It can be frozen, unbaked, for up to two months, before serving.  I think that Donna Reed would have thought this quite clever.  I didn't have quite enough apples for Phillips' recipe (um, we ate a bunch), so I added in the dried figs.  They are great in a crisp!  The filling here uses a combination of brown and white sugar, which creates a lovely caramel syrup among the fruit.   I would recommend serving this with unsweetened whipped cream, greek yogurt, or creme fraiche.

Oatmeal Apple Fig Crisp
adapted from You've Got It Made, by Diane Phillips
serves 6-8


Ingredients:
TOPPING:
3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
2/3 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold sweet butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (or substitute 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup SmartBalance, as I did)

FILLING:
3 large tart apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (about 4 or 5 cups)
1/2 cup quartered dried figs (about 12)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 TBSP cornstarch
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp lemon juice

Directions:
1. First prepare the topping.  I use my miniature food processor for this, and it fits perfectly, but go ahead and use your large one if you haven't got a small one.  Combine the oats, flour, both sugars, and salt in the bowl of the food processor.  Pulse on and off to blend.  Add the butter (or butter and SmartBalance combination) by sprinkling the small bits on top of the combined topping.  Pulse on and off about 10 times, until the mixture just comes together.
2. Now prepare the filling.  I do this right in my baking pan -- it makes fewer dishes.  You can use a 9 inch round pie dish or a 9 inch square pan.  Combine the apples, figs, both sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice.  Stir until the apples are well coated.
3. Sprinkle and press the crumble over the fruit mixture.
4. At this point, you may cover and freeze for up to two months.
5. Or you may just bake the crumble for 45 to 55 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.  It should be bubble and the topping should be golden brown.  Allow it to rest for 10 minutes before serving.