Braeburns in Apple Cranberry Crisp

Apple Cranberry Crisp. (Adrienne Anifant)

ADRIENNE ANIFANT

AFTER LONG HOURS OF PREPARING Thanksgiving pies and dealing with fickle crusts, this apple crisp recipe will be a sweet relief! It comes together in a snap, so it’s perfect for a holiday party or meal. 

It pairs New England’s favorite seasonal fruit and berry: the apple and the cranberry. The ruby-colored cranberry brings its beautiful, festive red to this crisp, and its tart flavor brings depth and dimension to the sweetness of the apples and to the buttery, sugary cinnamon flavor of the crumble. 

I chose Honeycrisp and Braeburn apples because Honeycrisps are firm and sweet and Braeburns are tart-sweet, and they hold their shape when cooked. 

Braeburns are a late-season apple, originating in New Zealand in the 1950s as a chance seedling. They are grown throughout New England and their flesh is dense, aromatic, and juicy. Braeburns have three times the amount of Vitamin C as the average apple.

Braeburn, a late-season apple high in Vitamin C, is good for baking as well as fresh eating, Buell’s Orchard, Eastford, Connecticut. (Russell Steven Powell)

Click on the Apples link at newenglandapples.org to learn more about Braeburns and to see where they are locally grown, and pick up your own bag for snacking or cooking. 

Welcome the holiday spirit of giving into your home and make this delicious crisp for family, friends, and neighbors. There’s nothing quite like curling up in your favorite chair under a blanket or near the fireside while you dig in to this warm, comforting, festive dessert. 

The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to feed a crowd. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Apple Cranberry Crisp

Adapted from blogger Julie Evink at julieseatsandtreats.com

 Filling

6 large New England apples, peeled and chopped
1‑ 1 1/2 c fresh or frozen cranberries (adjust according to taste)
¼ c sugar
1 T lemon juice
2 t vanilla extract

Crumble (I doubled the crumble, but adjust according to taste)

1/3 c old-fashioned oats
½ c brown sugar
1/3 c all-purpose flour
5 T cold butter, cubed
2 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375⁰ F and grease a 9×11 baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine apples, cranberries, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. With a pastry cutter, fork, or grater, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Pour fruit mixture into baking dish in an even layer. Spread the crumble evenly over the top of the fruit.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the fruit is tender and the topping is golden brown.

Enjoy!

4 Comments

  • Cynthia Croteau

    Russell
    Thank you so much. I really enjoy all of the wonderful information. The recipes are so special and have become family favorites.
    Happy Holidays

  • Nina Scott

    Love being reminded of the great place on which we live. Kudos to the hardy farmers who make great fruit havests possible.

  • Nina Scott

    Thank you for reminding us of the hard work farmers put in to bring us such delicious fruit!