New Year's Day Eve

A friend posted, "Sometimes you just have to bake" this was mere moments after I pulled this outta the oven.  If only we lived closer to share our treats...
Hubs & I had a long hard new year's day of doing absolutely nothing.  I found some amazingly huge Granny Smiths a few days prior and threw together a super quick dessert that we enjoyed after the girls hit the sack [finally.]
I made a batch of Crumb Topping which really covers a 13x9 but these little pyrex bowls are perfect for one large Granny Smith Apple cut up and shared between the two of us.  So I put the rest of the crumb topping in the fridge for later use.  Darn we'll have to indulge more during the week!
After I threw this in the oven, we started the girls bedtime rituals. It was ready to enjoy by the time the girls were all snuggled up for the night.  It didn't even matter that we ate devoured while watching the rest of Winnie the Pooh for the hundredth time, it was SO good.   Hubs and I need more Us-time like this, maybe we'll remember to throw in a PG-13 movie next time! ha.




Quick Apple Crumb Dessert
1 large Granny Smith
1 packet of instant oat meal (I used Cinnamon & Spice)
1 shot of Amaretto (Disaronno is my fav)

Heat oven to 375.  Cut up apple to bite size pieces. Add one packet of Oat Meal. Add Amaretto and mix until oat meal coats most apples.  Top with desired amount of Crumb Topping and bake for about 30 minutes or until Crumb topping starts to brown.

This makes your kitchen smell aaaah-mazing!

Crumb Topping
1 stick COLD un-salted butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp of Cinnamon or Pumpkin Spice
A pinch of salt (none if you use salted butter, depending on what's on hand)

Blend sugars together in bowl then slowly blend in flour. Will be slightly lumpy, lumpy is good. Sprinkle spice and give it a quick toss.  Cut butter in quarters length wise (think french fry). Then slice off cubes (think m&m size) and toss a few into mixture at a time to coat. Now time to get your hands in there and squish! You want to squish everything together evenly but not until smooth. You want it to remain lumpy, that's what makes the crumbs! Squish until mixture is no longer powdery.
Keeps well in zipper bag in coldest part of fridge, about a week. Probably longer but it's never lasted more than a few days before I just had to taste it's deliciousness again!