Apple Pie Spice

One of my favorite Christmas gifts from my husband this year was an apple corer/slicer. I got sick of finding slimy apples with 3 bites out of them around the house but was too lazy to slice one up every time my 3 year old asked for one. Now I just whip that baby out and have a sliced up apple in 2 seconds. Any leftovers can be easily popped in the fridge for later consumption, baking or drying at no extra effort to me.

Now that it's so effortless to chop apples, and the cold weather makes using the oven a pleasure instead of a pain, I've been been able to whip up apple crisp any time I feel like it. I already use my: universal fruit crisp mix for the topping to make things easier, but I needed something to quickly season the apples underneath as well. So...

Apple Pie Spice (single use- for one pie)

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch allspice
pinch ginger

Big batch (makes a whole spice bottle for multiple uses)

1/4 cup cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ginger

I sliced up my apples with my handy dandy cutter and put them into pyrex bowels before sprinkling on the spice. I like to do individual crisps- 2 bigger ones for mama and papa bear and a little one for baby bear. There is less mess, less dishes and less waste this way.

I covered the apples with crisp topping before baking in the oven at 350 until the topping began to brown and the apples below were tender.

This dessert is SO delicious but is loaded with fiber and is low in sugar. It's less fat and work than pie, although this spice works nicely for traditional pie, cakes and turnovers as well. I also had a dieting roommate who would make it WITHOUT the topping- just bake the apples and spice in the oven and eat it which is also incredibly delicious and 100% healthy. But I don't mind a little bit of topping myself...