4 pounds (about 10) small Granny Smith or pippin apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 inch slices
Juice of 2 lemons
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
8 tbsp (1 stick) salted butter, softened
Vanilla ice cream or Sweetened Whipped Cream for serving, optional (below)
1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Place the apple slices in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Add the lemon juice and toss to prevent the apples from discoloring.
3. Place the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium-size bowl and whisk to blend. Add the butter. Using your fingers, blend the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples, but do not pack it down.
4. Bake the crisp until the apples are tender when pierced with a fork, the juices bubble up around the edges of the baking pan, and the topping is crisp and brown, 40 to 50 minutes. Serve the crisp hot or warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.