Grain-free Apple Crunchy-Crisp

Craving apple crisp during a snow day we had last week, and deciding to remedy my want for warm buttery gooey apples, I whipped up this recipe. It was a real crowd pleaser. Between my parents and I, we ate the whole thing in 2 days. Like 48 hours. It was soo good! I actually enjoyed it for breakfast the next day under some greek yogurt. This recipe is so nourishing you can have it for breakfast. And the ice cream too! Perhaps best of all, it will make your insides nice and warm after coming in from shoveling all that snow!

Delicious topping!

Feel free to use whatever apples you have on hand. I only had grannies, but I really like the combination of grannies, gala and yellow delicious in a warm fruit dessert. Granny smith apples are the typical stand-by, but in my opinion, its the yellow delicious that really steal the show. So if you have more than one kind of apple in the fridge, I highly suggest you use a few different kinds. Either way, this apple crisp is delicious. It is very low in sugar, sweetened by the apples, dates and a bit of maple syrup. This is a dessert is such a nutritional powerhouse that it's kind of crazy to call it a dessert!

Apple Crunchy-Crisp
     serves six with no leftovers

6 small granny smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into slices
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp arrowroot flour/starch
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 pumpkin pie spice

4 Tbsp real butter
1/2-3/4 cup unblanched almond flour
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
10-15 pitted dates, chopped
dash cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter, reserved

To make your crispy cobbler:
1. With an apple apparatus, prepare your apples. Cover with water and lemon juice (prevents oxidation and brown discoloration).
2. Prepare the topping: roughly chop dates, combine with walnuts, cinnamon and almonds. In a separate bowl cut butter into almond flour. Mix flour/butter mixture with other toppings.
3. Drain water from apples. Toss with maple syrup, arrowroot starch and spices. Spread out (do not flatten) in a glass baking dish. Sprinkle topping over the top in an even layer. Slice remaining butter into small squares and distribute evenly over the topping.
4. Cover with tin foil and bake in a 375 degree oven until warm and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Turn up to 400 degrees without the foil and finish for 10 minutes or until topping has browned slightly (watch burning, since this topping has no sugar cane it will not "brown" like other pie toppings).
5. Let cool for a few minutes. It is best served warm with fresh raw cream and homemade french vanilla ice cream or homemade vanilla ice cream.

Finished product :) with ice cream

What a lovely chewy crunchy top!

Currently I am enjoying working at home and having another SNOW DAY! Second week in a row. If you are from the North East... what is your opinion on snow days? Love them, hate them? How do you deal with them?