Autumn Flavor Bliss: Apples & Butterscotch

Autumn's crisp, juicy apple crop arrives along with that crisp snap in the air, which makes me ready to turn on the oven for autumn baking. Among the tempting array of apple dessert possibilities, my favorite is an apple crisp featuring the perfect flavor pairing of butterscotch and apples.

Who doesn't love this mouthwatering combo? Whether it's dipping apple wedges in soft butterscotch, a caramel apple on a stick, or butterscotch and vanilla ice cream atop a slice of warm apple pie, this flavor combo is a crowdpleaser.

You can't find an easier homemade dessert than a crisp. The quick-to-stir-together dessert probably originated in New England, and was a delicious sweet to fuel the family working long days during harvest season. Easy crisp- a fruit filling baked with a topping of crumbled flour, sugar, butter, nuts and oatmeal- gets its name from the texture of its "crust" atop the bubbling fruit filling.

Fruit desserts in American culinary history include a variety of pie-like offerings of fruit tucked into or topped with some kind of crust. And they sport some whimsical names: Grunt, crumble, cobbler, slump, and crisps are in the same dessert family as dumplings, turnovers and one- and two-crust pies.

Any of these sweets made with the all-American apple and butterscotch morsels are traditional favorites in my house. The aroma of apples baking with cinnamon, brown sugar and butterscotch morsels brings family and guests straight to the kitchen to breathe in deeply before digging in!

Celebrate apple season in many delicious ways with mouth watering dessert ideas at www.VeryBestBaking.com.
Butterscotch Apple Crisp
(Makes 12 servings)
APPLE LAYER:
2 1/2 pounds tart apples, peeled and
thinly sliced
1 2/3 cups (11-ounce package)
Nestlé Toll House Butterscotch
Flavored Morsels
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
TOPPING:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine

1 cup chopped nuts
3/4 cup quick or old-fashioned oats

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

FOR APPLE LAYER: arrange apples in 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Combine morsels, sugar, flour and cinnamon in small bowl; sprinkle over apples. Bake for 20 minutes.

FOR TOPPING: Combine flour and sugar in medium bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until crumbly. Stir in nuts and oats; sprinkle over apple layer. Bake for an additional 30 to 40 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is lightly browned. Cool slightly. Serve warm with ice cream, if desired.

Nutrition Information per serving: 370 calories; 160 calories from fat; 18 g total fat; 9 g saturated fat; 10 mg cholesterol; 60 mg sodium; 48 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 35 g sugars; 3 g protein.

Jenny Harper is Senior Culinary Specialist for the Nestlé Test Kitchens and VeryBestBaking.com.

Courtesy of Family Features