Step 1

Preheat oven to Spray a 9x9 or similar size baking dish (mine is 8xwith cooking spray.

Step 2

Peel the apples and cut them into short, thin slices, about 2 inches long by ¼ inch thick.

Step 3

In a very large bowl, toss the sliced apples with flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Place the apple slices in the prepared baking dish.

Step 4

Remove the stick of butter from the refrigerator and grate it with a cheese grater. Alternatively, you can cut the cold butter into very small cubes and cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry blender.

Step 5

In the same large bowl you used for the apples, make the streusel topping without oats. Combine flour, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, and salt.

Step 6

Add the grated butter and toss it with the flour mixture — I use my hands since I’ll be using them for the next couple of steps anyway.Using your fingers, pinch the butter and flour mixture together until it clumps together and resembles wet sand.

Step 7

Evenly sprinkle the apple crisp topping over the apple mixture.

Step 8

Bake for 60-80 minutes or until the top is deep golden brown, the apples are soft, and thick juices are bubbling up around the edges (if the juice isn’t thick, it’s not done). An instant read thermometer should read 195.

Step 9

Check the apple pecan crisp after about 50-60 minutes to get a gauge of how much longer you need to go. You may need to add a layer of foil at this point so the topping doesn’t get too brown or the nuts burn.

Step 10

Check the apples for doneness with a paring knife. Poke the paring knife into the center of the crisp. If you feel resistance, the apples aren’t soft yet.

Step 11

Let the crisp rest on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before digging in. It may be quite soft while it’s still warm and will thicken up a bit as it cools.

Step 12

Store apple crisp covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze baked apple crisp in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Defrost it in the refrigerator.