Cinnamon Apple Crisp

It's been a bit chilly here in Portland and I wanted to whip up a quick and delicious dessert (and a warm one too!) without a ton of prep. This apple crisp isn't loaded with sugar, allowing the natural sweetness of the apples to really shine through. Most crisps rely on oil or other added fat to crisp up the oat topping, but instead I used a little brown rice syrup that crisps up quite nicely after it begins to cool. Stay warm!

Ingredients:

• 7-8 medium apples (peeled and chopped)
• 1 ½ cups rolled oats
• ¼ cup evaporated cane juice (or other dry sugar)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup brown rice syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Peel and chop the apples and place them in an 8" by 8" glass baking dish, or similar sized baking dish.
3. Cover and bake for 35-45 minutes or until apples are soft, but still retain their shape.
4. While the apples are baking, mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl.
5. In a small saucepan, gently heat the brown rice syrup to liquefy it.
6. Pour the brown rice syrup into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
7. Once the apples are done, evenly spread the oat topping over the apples and return it to the oven (uncovered) for 15 minutes or until the oats are golden brown.
8. Let cool for at least 15 minutes so the oat topping becomes crisp.

Yields: 6-8 servings