It was the winter of 2011, and I was living in Stockholm, enduring one of the longest and coldest seasons of my life. I was traveling often in my role as a footwear and accessory designer at Acne Studios, which helped, but the winter blues were still real.

My dear friend Erika gave me this recipe - not written down, just casually explained in her easy, lighthearted way. It became my go-to apple crisp, and over the years I’ve added a few small tweaks of my own.

Wherever you are, February still feels like a month for slower evenings and cosy dinners with close friends who lift us up. This is the perfect recipe for those nights - simple, comforting, and not too sweet.

 Apples can be any variety; I like a mix of Granny Smith and another variety like Cortland, Honeycrisp or Gala. I added a few blackberries for colour and extra flavor, you can substitute blueberries or leave them out altogether.

I like to chop the apples finely so that the end result is really soft and broken down - if you prefer a chunkier filling - chop the apples a little bigger. I also leave the skin on because it's faster prep, and gives a little texture. 

It seems crazy to put the dry mix on top of the apples, but it works really well, because some of the flour works to thicken the filling and the butter on top makes the top nice and crispy.

This might be the first time you've ever slice butter with a cheese slicer! (Tip: make sure the butter is really cold. I freeze mine for ten minutes before slicing) but trust me: it saves so much time not having to mix it in with the flour, and makes a lovely crunchy topping. 

Take it out when the crust is nice and golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

It is great served hot with ice cream or whipping cream! And I really love it the next day as a decadent breakfast, worm or cold, topped with a dollop of Greek yoghurt. 

The Stockholm Apple Crisp

Ingredients

Filling
Approx 3 large apples, quartered and thinly sliced. Apples can be any variety; I like a mix of Granny Smith and another variety like Cortland, Honeycrisp, or Gala. I leave the skin on because its faster, and gives a little texture which I like.
1 small punnet of blackberries (could also be blueberries, or left out altogether)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tbsp light brown sugar (if you prefer sweeter, add more sugar)
1 tbsp lemon juice

Crisp Topping
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour (any gluten-free alternative works well here too)
1 cup sugar (I like to mix 1/2 cup coconut sugar with 1/2 cup light brown sugar for more flavor)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Approx 1 stick salted butter (8 tbsp / 113 g), plus a cheese slicer or vegetable peeler

To make the crisp topping

Combine oats, flour, sugars, cinnamon, and lemon zest in a bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.

Quarter and thinly slice the apples. I like to leave the peel on for a little color and texture. I prefer them finely sliced for a softer consistency; if you prefer a chunkier crisp, chop them larger.

In a bowl, mix the sliced apples, blackberries, lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon.

Add the fruit to an 8x8 or 9x9 inch baking dish, leaving at least 1/2 inch of headroom so the filling doesn’t bubble over as it bakes.

Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit. Using a cheese slicer or vegetable peeler, shave thin slices of butter and distribute them evenly over most of the surface of the topping.

Place in a preheated 350°F oven and bake until golden brown on top and the filling is bubbling, approximately 60 minutes.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! 

Bianca xx