Chef Love-In #2 : Ina Garten -The Barefoot Contessa / Apple Crisp

I'm a BIG fan of Ina Garten. Best selling cookbook author, and star of the Food Network's The Barefoot Contessa. Ina lives a pretty spectacular life in East Hampton, New York with her husband Jeffrey. She once owned a specialty food shop in the Hamptons and then moved on to books and her own tv show.  What I like most about her books/show is that she shares her stylish recipe ideas with great energy and a sense of fun. Her passion for food and for creating special meals for family and friends shines through. Her recipes are foolproof, unique and delicious and I adore her!!! I have 5 of her 8 books...my sister has the other 3!!! :) Check out the Barefoot Contessa here.

The Barefoot Contessa's Apple Crisp (adapted)

This apple crisp is SPECTACULAR!! When I made it, my husband said...'keep this in your regular repertoire!!!'...You will LOVE this!!! It is one of the best I have ever had...and that is saying a LOT!!!

5 lbs of Macintosh apples
Grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the crisp topping:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 pound cold unsalted butter, diced 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 9 x 14 x 2-inch baking dish. Peel,and cut the apples into large wedges. Combine the apples with the zests, juices, sugar, and cinnamon. Pour into the dish.
To make the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas (this can also be done by hand, but it's a little more work). Scatter evenly over the apples.
Place the crisp on a sheet pan and bake for one hour until the top is brown and the apples are bubbly. Serve warm. 

Wedges of apples waiting to be topped with the crisp mixture...

The topping...Sugar and butter...is there anything better???

After an hour in the oven, bubbling and brown and SO SO Good!!!

Happy Weekend! Make some apple crisp!!! You'll be VERY happy you did!

As Ina would say... "How easy was that?"....