Sunny Apple Crunch

by Christa Upton
(South Dakota)

Recipe 34 in the Solar Hot Pot

Sunny Apple Crunch

This one isn’t as “tricky” to bake as a cake or bread, but still might want to plan this one for summer (as opposed to spring or fall) to get a nice, brown topping.

Prep by making topping. Mix:

3/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. chopped nuts (any kind)—that’s the crunch! (We used roasted almonds.)
1/2 c. dry oats
sprinkling of ground flax seed
4 T. butter (work it in with your hands to make a crumbly topping. Don’t mix too much; you don’t want a cookie dough, just a crumbly topping.)

Set topping aside.

1:45 pm—grease Solar Hot Pot well, cover, set up facing the sun to preheat, set timer for 15 minutes.

Now mix:

4-5 c. sour apples (peel and slice thinly) (We used Granny Smith.)
2 T sugar (sprinkle over apples)
2 t. flour (sprinkle over apples)
1 t. lemon juice (sprinkle over apples)
dash of cloves (or you can use cinnamon; cinnamon sometimes gives me heartburn)

2:00 pm—fruit mixture: put in preheated Pot.

Sprinkle topping all over fruit.

10:00 am—set up filled Hot Pot facing the sun. Set timer for one hour.

11:00 am—adjust to sun, set timer for one hour.

12:00 pm—check to see if it looks done. Be aware of food safety & check temperature if you are concerned. (Food should generally not be left under 150 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 2 hours.)

Fruity, crunchy, sweet—yum! We let it coast until after supper (until 6:15). The apples were cooked wonderfully, and the topping was browned nicely. We’ll be doing this one again soon! (smile)