Photos by Andrew Mrozowski / Arts & Culture Editor

Hamilton’s apple season kicked off this past weekend with Apple Fest Weekend, as part of Food Literacy Month. Orchards are officially open, and there’s no better time to go out and pick some apples. I have a habit of picking way more apples than any one human can possibly eat. To make use of all them, I pull out a classic apple crisp recipe to bake and share with friends. Although honeycrisp apples were used for this recipe, you can use any baking apple. 

There’s no better way to enjoy fall than with some freshly baked apple crisp and a nice cup of tea while bundled up in a scarf. This recipe pairs best with orange pekoe or chai drinks. 

This recipe is a modified version of Apple Crisp II by Diane Kester.

 

The Ingredients

For the apples:

10 cups all-purpose apples, peeled, cored and sliced

3/4 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ cup water

 

For the topping:

2 cups quick-cooking oats

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups packed brown sugar

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter, melted

 

Caramel drizzle (optional):

1 cup butter

1 cup light brown sugar

The Preparation

When you’re peeling the apples, it helps to peel them over a sheet of newspaper (just as long as it’s not a copy of the Silhouette). When you’re tidying up,wrap them up in the newspaper and put them directly into the compost bin. This saves a lot of time cleaning up the counter. The prep takes about 30 minutes, but by far the most difficult part is waiting for the apple crisp to finish baking.

Note: If you find it’s too sweet, you can cut the white sugar down to half a cup. 

The Baking

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit (175 degrees celsius). 
2. Place the sliced apples in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon and nutmeg together. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples. Pour water evenly over all incorporated ingredients
3. Combine the oats, 1 cup of all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.
4. Put in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes.
5. Do your best not to burn your tongue when you immediately start eating it. 

The Finishing Touch

1. In a saucepan, combine butter and light brown sugar. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Pour immediately over the apple crisp. Enjoy!

If you aren’t in the mood for orange pekoe or chai tea, this crisp is also great with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Share it with friends, or eat the whole thing yourself. I won’t judge you. Make sure to tag The Silhouette if you make this recipe at home!

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Try: Get a haircut

The changing of seasons provides a prime opportunity to seek new bounds. One of the easiest and most dramatic personal changes you could make right now? Getting your hair cut – and I don’t mean just a trim.

Personally, I’ve always been a firm supporter of long hair. In fact, I’ve had long hair for as long as I can remember (minus the mushroom cut my mom gave me when I was seven, but who hasn’t suffered through this phase?). It has always been tough for me to justify paying copious amounts of money for a haircut, only to end up getting a trim. This time, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and cut my waist-length hair to my collarbone. Though my trip to the hairdresser was not without a little shortness of breath and a lot of fear, I’m now loving my shorter ‘do. Of course, you should get the cut that makes you feel most comfortable, but cutting your hair short can be a liberating, refreshing change. Plus, short hair looks great with turtlenecks.

Wear: Add some layers

Fall is great for many things, but its best quality is definitely layering. The cooler air brings along the opportunity for more textured, complex outfits. This season, don’t be afraid to experiment with different materials and lines. Switch up a traditionally shorter hemline with longer ones. Instead of a t-shirt that hits you at the waist, go for one that hits you mid-thigh, and pair it with light-washed denim and a simple sweater. Also, try out your closet staples with a twist: instead of normal jeans, try selvedge denim or straight-leg trousers. At the end of the day, you can never go wrong with a monochromatic colour palette and simple, clean lines. A good outfit doesn’t have to be—in fact, it rarely is—busy. Cut out busy pieces and add interest to your fit through the art of layering.

Taste: Pumpkin simplicity

Nothing feels more like fall than pumpkin. Although there are many options for using this wondrous vegetable, a warm slice of pumpkin pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is my personal favourite. Here’s a great, simple, four-step recipe to try out.

Student-friendly pumpkin pie

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups canned pumpkin
• 1 3/4 cups sweetened condensed milk
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 pie crust, unbaked

Directions:

1. Combine pumpkin and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; beat at medium speed with electric mixer for two minutes.
2. Pour into prepared piecrust.
3. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F; bake additional 50 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
5. Cool on wire rack.

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