Apple and dried Apricot Crisp

This is one of my favorite classic fall desserts. Your house will smell divinely festive. Any firm apple works well with this dessert: Gala, Fuji, Jonagold, Rome, Winesap, Mutsu, Honeycrisp. Remember if you use soft apple such as Macintosh and Red delicious you will get more of an apple sauce texture. Hey, could be good too! Try it all I say!! I also am one to leave the apple skins on, being that much of the nutrients are in the skin. But if you prefer without the skins by all means peel away.

Apples

6 medium apples, halved, cored and cut into ½ inch cubes

½ cup dried apricots, sliced (next time substitute dried cherries for the apricots!)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp fresh grated nutmeg

2 TB maple syrup

2 TB dark honey

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

½ tsp lemon zest

Pinch o f sea salt

Crisp

1 cup walnut halves, lightly toasted

¾ cup quinoa flakes

½ cup quinoa flour

¼ cup tapioca flour

¼ tsp sea salt

½ cup maple sugar

4 TB walnut oil, sunflower oil or coconut butter (melted)

2 TB filtered water

Preheat oven 400.

To make topping: in a medium bowl mix together quinoa flakes, quinoa and tapicoa flour, sugar, walnuts and salt. Drizzle in oil one TB at a time, mix with wooden spoon. Then add water and toss. It should look crumbly, like wet sand. Set aside. (could be made one day in advance. Just refrigerate until use)

To make filling: Toss everything into an 8x8 inch glass baking dish. Mix everything to combine. Sprinkle reserved topping evenly over apples. Bake in the middle rack of oven for 15 minutes at 400. Then reduce heat to 350 and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are soft.

Remove from oven and let cool. Serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!