White House Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

Filling

• 9 medium Honeycrisp apples
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest + 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup apple juice

Topping

• 1.5 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1.5 cups premium flour
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp honey
• 165 g melted unsalted butter
• Chocolate chip ice cream, for serving, optional

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 175°C.
2. Filling:
   
   Peel and core the apples, and slice them into 0.5 cm thick slices. In a large saucepan, combine the apples, lemon zest and juice, brown and granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt, honey, vanilla, and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring gently, until the apples are slightly softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and apple juice. Pour the mixture over the apple filling, stir, and cook until it comes to a boil. Pour the apple filling into a lightly greased 8-cup baking dish. Set aside.
4. Topping:
   
   Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix everything together lightly by hand. Pour in the honey and melted butter. Stir to coat evenly. Sprinkle the topping over the entire apple filling.
5. Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges. Serve with chocolate ice cream, if desired.