It’s that time of year again here in the midwest, the leaves are changing, the days are getting shorter and there is squash, pears and apples everywhere. My friend gave me this beautiful basket of apples from her tree and she said that they were perfect for baking, a little tart and firm. If I have to shop for the apples for this crisp I will usually go with a granny smith but these, local, organic and free apples are perfect for this recipe. I started adding berries to my apple crisp years ago thinking it would make it more festive for the holidays and everyone liked it so much that it has just become the way I make it now. Make sure to use whatever berries you like or have on hand and if you are a fan of ginger, I highly suggest adding some, it upgrades and changes the whole recipe.

         Apple Crisp with Blackberries

• 2.5 Lbs. Granny Smith Apples, Peeled and Sliced
• 10 Oz. Blackberries or Raspberries, I used frozen
• 1 Cup White Sugar
• 1 Lemon, Juice a & Zest
• 3/4 Tsp. Salt
• 1 Tsp Cinnamon, Ground
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1 Cup + 1Tbl. Flour
• 1 1/2 Cup Oats
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 + 1 Tbl. Cup Butter, Melted
• 1/4 Tsp. Nutmeg, Ground
• 1/4 Tsp. Cloves, Ground
• Fresh Grated Ginger to taste (Optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix apples, berries, lemon juice & zest, white sugar, 1 Tbl. flour, salt and cinnamon until incorporated. Butter a 9 X 13 oval baking dish or lasagna pan with 1 Tbl. melted butter then pour in the apple mixture. Mix together the rest of your ingredients and spread over the top of you apple and berry mixture and bake until golden brown and bubbly on the edges about 75 minutes. Let it set up for a few hours if you can wait and serve heated up with vanilla bean gelato or your favorite vanilla ice cream and enjoy. It will keep covered for a few days, similar to a pie.