Ingredients:
- 6 large Granny Smith or Honeycrisp apples, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick (approx. 2 lbs)
- 0.5 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 0.5 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 0.5 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar for sprinkling
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp fine sea salt
- 0.5 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 0.5 cup boiling water
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and prepare a 9x9 inch ceramic baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the sliced apples with 1/2 cup sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg until the fruit is evenly coated and a light syrup begins to form. Transfer to the baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and sea salt.
- Use a pastry cutter or fork to rub the chilled, cubed butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (the sanding method).
- Carefully stir in the boiling water until just combined to create a unique 'drop' consistency dough.
- Drop spoonfuls of the topping over the apple mixture. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar over the top to facilitate the Maillard reaction.
- Bake for 40 minutes until the topping is a deep mahogany brown and the fruit juices are bubbling and thickened.