The most delicious dessert I know is also the easiest. Apple crisp isn’t pretty enough for a bakery shop window, but it’s still magic: The transformation of only four humble ingredients—butter, brown sugar, flour, and apples—into a triumph of flavor and texture.
It’s the kind of rustic fruit dessert that’s been made effortlessly by home cooks for generations. Apple crisp and its cousins (crumble, cobbler, brown betty, pandowdy) don’t take much effort, just fresh fruit and a simple topping. There’s no decorative edging, no pretty pastry cut-outs, no flourish of buttercream—just simple, seasonal, and delicious home baking.
