Apple Crisp with Brown Butter and Vanilla

[hardboiledblond]

A special crisp made with fresh apples, browned butter and vanilla bean. There's even browned butter in the topping!

More over at The Alchemist

• Apple Crisp With Brown Butter and Vanilla
  
  Ingredients
  
  For Topping:
  
  1 cup (100 g.) all purpose flour
  1/3 cup (35 g.) walnuts, finely chopped
  1/2 cup (75 g.) packed brown sugar
  1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  1 stick butter, 1/2 cup (113 g.) browned and cooled
  1/2 tsp. salt
  
  For Filling:
  
  1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
  6 Tablespoons butter
  1/2 cup (75 g.) packed brown sugar
  1 1/2 tbsp. all purpose flour
  3 lbs. Apples (6 med. size), peeled and chopped
  pinch of salt
  
  Directions
  
  Grease a 2 or 3 quart casserole dish, or make individual crisps and use 6 small gratin dishes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, 200 degrees Celsius, or Gas Mark 6.
  
  Make topping:
  
  Add all topping ingredients together in a bowl and mix until crumbly.
  
  For Filling
  
  Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into a small heavy saucepan, then add pod and butter and cook over medium heat, swirling pan occasionally, until butter is browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
  While butter browns, stir together brown sugar, flour, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Add chopped apples and toss together. Remove vanilla pod from butter, then toss butter with apple mixture. Spoon filling into casserole dish, or gratin dishes and sprinkle with topping.
  
  Bake crisp for about 35-45 minutes, until top is browned and apples are cooked.
  
  Cool on a wire rack until cool enough to eat. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.