Rosie Makes Acorn Squash And Apple Crisp.

 It's fall and time for acorn squash and apples.

I'm too lazy to put together a whole meal today, so I'm going with the best parts - a sweet, almost dessert-like stuffed acorn squash and an actual dessert to follow the faux dessert. 

To prepare the squash, simply slice a thin piece off each end so when you cut it in half each half  will sit evenly.  Then scoop/scrape out the seeds and stringy part.  When you have it nice and clean, stuff the center with whatever tickles your fancy.

 

  I used:

brown sugar

orange juice and zest

honey

buttah

pecans

 

Bake at 350° until tender - 50 minutes or so.  Then scrape the sides into the center with all the goody stuff and enjoy.

One of my favorite fall desserts is Mama Hawthorne's Apple Crisp.  Serve it warm just out of the oven with multiple scoops of vanilla ice cream.  Divine!

I like to get all my ingredients together first so I don't get in the middle of a recipe and find out I'm out of something essential, like eye of newt or tongue of hummingbird or dewlap of anole. I hate it when that happens.

 So, here's my mise en place (which is French for putting everything in its place):

 Mama Hawthorne's Apple Crisp

4-5 cups apple slices
juice of one lemon
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup quick Quaker oats
3/4 brown sugar
1 stick butter
1 TB cinnamon
2 TB sugar

 Heat oven to 350°.
Grease an 8" square baking dish,
Juice the lemon into a bowl.
Peel, core, and slice apples.
As you slice the apples,
 toss them in the lemon juice to coat.
Mix the cinnamon with the sugar
and sprinkle over the apple slices.
Toss to coat.
Mix brown sugar, oats, and flour and sprinkle over fruit.

Cook 35-40 minutes at 350°.

 

At the top, I have my cored and peeled apples bathing in lemon juice.

At right, I have my cinnamon and sugar.

And at left, I have brown sugar, oats, and flour.

Toss apples in lemon juice to keep them from discoloring.

Whisk the flour, brown sugar, and oats together.

 

Stir apples to coat with lemon juice.

Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over apples.
And toss to coat.

Pour in oatmeal mixture and combine.

Pour apple mixture into buttered 8 x 8-inch baking dish.

Dot top with butter pats.

Don't be afraid.  

Use that entire stick!

And ... BAKE!

35-40 minutes later.

Oh, the house smells sooooo good right now.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.