When you think of a grilling/smoking competition, you don’t think of “Drunken” Apple Crisp…and if you do, well, I don’t believe you. You, Sir or Ma’am, are a liar.
But, Why Do It Then?
After years, 4 to be exact, of being beaten down by the voting systems in place at Grillin’ For A Cause, my brother and I were at a loss. We absolutely LOVE being the creative ones. The team that forces people to jump out of their norm, their comfort zone to try something new. The team that puts together 3 Cheese Grilled Cheese with Tomato Basil Soup…all on the grill! After all of these years, we realized no one has ever landed a good dessert.
BAM! We have a general category, but now what to make. My brother and I very recently decided to jump into the smoking business…wait, that sounds bad. We both bought smokers! So, we decided we wanted to smoke a dessert. After A LOT of research, we landed on Apple Crisp for the simple fact that it not only holds the smoke flavor, but the apples and the smoke compliment each other so well! And then we added 2 different kinds of Revel Stoke Whiskey…
How To Make “Drunken” Apple Crisp
The absolute greatest part of this is that, while I am putting in the leg work for the flavor profile, you just need to peel and chop some apples! During the past few years at “Grillin’ For A Cause”, we worked our asses off during the competition. We had no time to sit, no time to chat with the visitors, and definitely no time to overcome the hangover from the Sieg Classic. This year we decided to relax a little bit yet bring fantastic flavors to all those in attendance…and we did not disappoint!
Just above this is a picture of what your Crisp should look like pre-smoking. It is legit, super simple. Once you have the hard part of slicing the apples finished, you pretty much just have some cooking to do. The fun thing about this is that if you don’t have a smoker (which if you don’t, go buy this one!), you can easily bake it in your oven!
The Finished Product
The nice thing for you is that you’re probably not making this for a cooking competition. Therefore, you don’t have to make 5 whole cast iron skillets worth of apple crisp! THAT’S 16 POUNDS OF GRANNY SMITH’S! The other great thing is…well…you get to eat this award winning dessert! I do have one major tip for you: When the “Drunken” Apple Crisp is all done in the smoker/oven, you need to let it rest for AT LEAST 30 minutes. If you cut right into it, you’ll have dessert soup, albeit, delicious. The resting time gives it the opportunity to solidify and become the glorious work of art it is!
“Drunken” Apple Crisp
Ingredients
For Topping:
- 1 c. Light Brown Sugar
- 1/2 c. All-purpose Flour
- 1/2 c. Oats
- 1/4 c. Walnuts
- 1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
- 8 tbsp. Unsalted Butter (cubed)
For Filling:
- 3 lbs. Granny Smith Apples
- 1/2 c. Cranberries (dried)
- 1/2 c. Light Brown Sugar
- 1/4 c. Honey
- 2 1/2 tbsp. Revel Stoke Bourbon (50/50 mix of Roasted Pecan and Roasted Apple)
- 1 tbsp. Lemon Juice
- 1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1 tsp. Salt
Instructions
- Preheat smoker/oven to 350F. Ensure cast iron is well seasoned.
For Topping:
- Place all ingredients into food processor. Pulse until topping is well incorporated. Don’t over mix. You still want some texture.
For Filling:
- Peel and core apples. Then slice each wedge into 3 pieces. Should each 24 slices per apple.
- In large mixing bowl, place all filling ingredients. Stir until apples are well coated.
To Finish:
- Pour filling evenly into cast iron pan. If any excess liquid is in the bottom on mixing bowl, pour rest over apple mixture.
- Place topping evenly over filling mixture. No need to pat down to even.
- Bake “Drunken” Apple Crisp for 60 minutes or until topping is browned with filling bubbling.
- Let cool for absolute minimum of 30 minutes.
- Try not to eat literally all of it!
Notes
I know it’ll be hard butttt….WAIT AN ABSOLUTE MINIMUM OF 30 MINUTES TO CUT INTO! You want to let it set up before getting into it.