Autumn Apple Crisp

Besides pumpkins, apples are one of the most used ingredients in autumn recipes, and with all of the orchards around Virginia, we are certainly in no short supply of this delicious fruit. There is a humongous variety of apple-based recipes floating around the world wide web, so perhaps you're having difficulty in locating the perfect dish. To lessen your stress and shorten your search time, enjoy one particularly delectable recipe (which can be found in Bob Greene's The Get With the Program! Guide to Good Eating) that we've selected for the delight of your taste buds:   Ingredients: 2 cups apples (preferably Granny Smiths), peeled, cored, and sliced 2 tbsp sugar or sugar substitute 1/4 cup apple juice 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 2 tsp cornstarch 1 tsp ground cinnamon Pinch of nutmeg Topping Ingredients: 1/2 cup walnuts or almonds, finely chopped 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 tbsp all-purpose flour 2 tbsp softened butter Preheat the oven to 350.  Stir apples, sugar, apple juice, lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined.  Set aside. To make the oatmeal topping, mix together the walnuts or almonds, oats, brown sugar, flour, and butter. Place the apple mixture in an 8-inch square baking dish.  Sprinkle the topping over the apples and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the apples are cooked through and the topping is browned.  Serve with cool whip or vanilla ice cream. By Tara Stoll