Spiced Pink Lady Apple Crisp

Fruit crisps are endlessly adaptable and pretty hard to mess up — so if you don’t love baking, a crisp is a great option. This cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg-scented version uses Pink Lady apples tossed with lemon for brightness and brown sugar to bring out the apples’ natural sweetness. Fresh thyme gives the crisp a savory touch, while topping each serving with a healthy dollop of whiskey whipped cream makes it clear that this is a grown-up dessert.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

For the Filling:

• 4 Pink Lady apples
• Juice and zest of ½ lemon
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme, plus more for serving 
• ¼ c light brown sugar
• ¼ tsp organic cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp organic allspice
• Large pinch Kosher salt

For the Topping:

• ½  c rolled oats
• ½ c all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp organic cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp organic allspice 
• Small pinch organic nutmeg
• ¼ c dark brown sugar
• 6 tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for buttering the baking dish
• Large pinch Kosher salt

For the Whipped Cream:

• 1 c heavy cream
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar
• 2-3 tbsp rye whiskey (depending on how boozy you’d like it)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Make the filling: Core the apples and cut them into thin slices, then mix well in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients, seasoning with a generous pinch of Kosher salt.
3. Butter a 3-quart baking dish, then spread the filling evenly inside.
4. Make the topping: Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl, then mix with your hands until the butter is evenly distributed and the mixture becomes uniformly crumbly. (This will take a few minutes, so be patient.)
5. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. 
6. Bake for 45 minutes, until the topping is lightly golden brown and you can hear the juices from the apples bubbling. If you’d like a more browned top, place the crisp under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, being careful not to burn.
7. While the crisp is baking, make the whipped cream: Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip on the highest speed until stiff peaks form. Keep chilled until you’re ready to serve.
8. Let the crisp cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with more fresh thyme, then serve in bowls with a dollop of the whiskey whipped cream.