Spicy Tangerine Chicken with Black Rice

Black rice, aka forbidden or purple rice, is an heirloom variety that has more fiber and nutrition than regular white rice.  The color is gorgeous; it starts out jet black and cooks up purplish...another example of the color = nutrition equation. The texture is firm and the flavor is nutty. Whole Foods type stores carry it, and some regular supermarkets are getting better about stocking unusual varieties these days. The brand I bought is Lotus Foods, an interesting specialty rice company dedicated to reviving exotic species of rice and promoting small sustainable farms in remote parts of the world.  Their amazing rices come in all shapes and sizes, and jewel tones.  If you can't find it you can buy through their website. 

I like the spicy/sweet dynamic in this dish so I used dried hot peppers, seeds and all.  You can leave out the hot pepper and make the dish all sweet, especially if you're cooking for kids.  My two daughters are huge fans of the big restaurant chain orange chicken, and I know they would love this.

The rind is critical to the citrus flavor, so don't skimp.  Use a vegetable peeler to remove the rind from the tangerine (or orange) and then slice it into fine julienne.  You can also use a citrus zester to create very fine ribbons of zest.  You don't want any of the white pith, which is bitter, just the colored part.  If you're not much of a citrus rind lover, just mince it, that way you won't bite into any big chunks.  Your nose will tell you you're on the right track as you throw the rind into the hot pan with the chili and ginger...

This recipe is the result of a good bit of research into Tangerine Chicken.  If you watch The Big Bang Theory, you know that there is an important difference between Tangerine Chicken and Orange Chicken ;) Tangerine is a little less sweet, a little more complex, and has a hint of bitterness,  but you can use either. After checking out a bunch of versions, I settled on bits and pieces from different sources to get exactly what I was looking for.  I wanted the chicken to be fried in a light batter like the kind you get in restaurants, but I didn't want the coating to be heavy.  I found the perfect batter here and it turned out just the way I wanted it to: lightly puffed and golden brown, perfect for grabbing on to the tangerine sauce.

The chicken pieces get dunked in a simple mix of egg with a tiny bit of flour and cornstarch, and then flash fried in peanut oil.  It keeps the chicken moist and tender while the outside has a little crunch. 

The chicken takes on another texture altogether after it slides into the thick sauce, and results in the classic tangerine chicken we all know and love.

Everything in this recipe is available in the regular supermarket, with the possible exception of the black rice. 

Spicy Tangerine Chicken
serves 2-4
1 cup black rice, cooked according to package directions
3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, or chicken tenders, cut in bite sized chunks
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 Tbsp flour
Pinch of salt
Peanut oil for frying the chicken
for the sauce:
2 tsp peanut oil
4 or 5 dried hot chilies, seeds and all, finely sliced
1 heaping Tbsp fresh grated ginger
The peel from 1 tangerine (or 1 orange) finely sliced (use a vegetable peeler to remove just the peel, no bitter white pith)
1 medium white onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Hoisin sauce
1-2 tsp chili paste
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 cup fresh tangerine or orange juice
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar 
1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp water
5 or 6  scallions, finely sliced
Sesame seeds for garnish
Sesame oil 

• First make the chicken.  In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and add the flour, cornstarch and salt.  Add the chicken pieces right into the bowl and stir to coat.
• In a deep frying pan or wok, heat about 1/2 inch of peanut oil till quite hot, about 340F.
• Fry the chicken pieces, in batches, for about 3 minutes total, flipping halfway through till they are golden and cooked through.  Don't crowd the pan, and keep the pieces separate as they cook.  Drain on a paper towel and set aside. 
• In a new or cleaned pan, heat 2 Tbsp of peanut oil and stir-fry the chilies for about a minute or two.  Add the grated ginger and the orange peel and cook for another minute.
• Add in the onion and green pepper and stir fry for about 5 minutes.
• In a small bowl or measuring cup mix the sauce: add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chili paste, vinegar, sugar, honey and tangerine juice.  Add this to the pan and stir to combine and heat till it's boiling.  Let it cook for about a minute.
•  Add a little of the cornstarch mix to the pan, just enough to thicken the sauce slightly, you won't need  all of it.
• Add in the chicken, and stir gently to combine everything.  Taste to see what you might need to add, maybe a little salt, maybe more vinegar.  I sometimes add a squeeze of lemon juice.
• Serve hot over rice.  Garnish with sliced scallions and drizzle each serving with the sesame oil.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes

Pin It I know, I know.  Pancakes are weekend food and today is Tuesday.  I made these last weekend and I didn't get around to posting them.  But there's a method to my madness.  These are the best pancakes I've had in ages.  And you'll be glad I'm letting you know about them now because it'll give you a chance to get the few ingredients you might not have in the house so you can make them yourself this weekend. Write this down before you forget: white whole wheat flour, oat flour, and buttermilk.  And if for some reason you're hanging around with nothing to do, or taking a day off work, make these today!.      

The combination of white whole wheat, oat flour, buttermilk and a touch of brown sugar results in golden pillowy pancakes, almost like stacks of fluffy graham crackers  Sooooo much better than plain old white pancakes.  Regular white flour pancakes are so cloying I can usually only eat a few bites before I have to push the plate away. With these I happily finished off the whole stack.
I'm not claiming these are healthy, per se. What they offer in terms of fiber and whole grain they more than make up for in the amounts of butter and syrup they suck in.  But I will say this.  You won't be reaching for a granola bar at 11 am.  Or that Hazelnut Latte.  And your stomach won't be making those embarrassing gurgling noises.

 I've come to the conclusion after many years of watching my weight, that the only way to stop thinking about food is to eat real food, not low calorie, low carb or low fat, and eat enough of it that it fuels me till the next meal.  When I try to skimp on how much I eat, it comes back to haunt me in the form of snacking or overeating at the next meal.   If you agree with me, then these pancakes are your man.

I borrowed the basic proportions from my Gingerbread Pancakes. Add spices, or nuts if you want to.  Top with bananas or strawberries.  But they are great just on their own.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes
1 cup oat flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 large eggs
3 packed Tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
4 Tbsp melted butter, cooled
a splash of vanilla

• Mix the flours and the baking soda and powder together.
• Whisk the eggs and brown sugar together, then add the buttermilk, cooled butter and vanilla.
• Fold the dry into the wet, and mix just until combined.  Lumps are good.  Add more milk or buttermilk if the batter seems too thick.
• Cook on a lightly greased hot skillet.  With whole grain pancakes you can't rely on the bubbles rising and popping in the batter to tell you when they're done on the first side, the batter is too thick for that.  Go by your instincts...after a pancake or two you'll have figured out how long they take.  Don't overcook.

Note:  If you don't have buttermilk, use whole milk mixed with 1 Tbsp (juice of 1/2 lemon).  Set aside for 10 minutes before using.  That is what I used, and it's absolutely perfect. 

You are going to thank me for this one, trust me.

PS These would make killer blueberry pancakes. 

Minimal Monday: Grilled Cheese

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Black Forest Ham 

Smoked Gouda

Whole Grain Mustard

Pumpernickel Bread

Butter

Don't forget the pickle!

Kedgeree

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I admit it, I finally got sucked in to Downton Abbey.  I now actually care whether Matthew Crawley will ever be able to sire an heir, O'Brian can unburden her conscience, or Bates will get out of jail.  I'm only human, and  it's hard-wired into our DNA to care about our fellow creatures... unfortunately, that lot includes overwritten, melodramatic characters as well.  In my experience this involuntary response kicks in about the third or fourth episode, so be forewarned in case you're catching the reruns.

This is a dish that Carson might offer you for breakfast if you were lucky enough to be invited to stay overnight at the Abbey.  Mrs. Patmore would have liked it because it uses up yesterday's leftovers.  Kedgeree became popular in Britain in the Victorian era when it was brought back by colonial solders from India.  It's a delicious meal that draws from both Indian and British culinary traditions: rice, smoked fish, eggs, and curry ...think of it as comfort food for the British colonial set.  We like to eat it for dinner so I make mine hearty.

You don't need anything fancy to make this dish, so if you've never tried it, you really should.  The combination of the smoked fish, the curry, and the creamy rice and eggs is really wonderful.  It's traditionally made with smoked haddock, but I used smoked salmon.  Any smoked fish will do.  Boil the eggs and the rice in advance and you can whip this up while the credits roll.

This is a basic recipe that is easy to make and uses standard ingredients...you can spice it up using coriander pods, saffron, turmeric, and a cinnamon stick if you want to.  Some recipes add a little cream at the end, or cooked lentils along with the rice.  If it were fresh pea season, I'd definitely throw some in.  It's all good.

Kedgeree                   ~~~adapted from Jamie Oliver
3 large eggs, boiled and quartered
4 cups cooked basmati (long grain) rice
1/3-1/2 lb smoked fish, I used salmon (buy it in a chunk, not the thin sliced kind)
4 Tbsp butter
1 heaping Tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp mustard seeds
1 fresh hot chili, finely sliced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch of spring onions, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
2 handfuls of fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and fresh pepper to taste
1 cup whole milk yogurt for serving

• Melt the butter in a large pot, and saute the onion, ginger and garlic for about 5 minutes.
• Add the curry powder, fresh chili and mustard seeds and cook for a few more minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, spring onions and lemon juice.and heat through.
• Add the rice to the pan and then the fish, breaking it into large flakes as you do. Add in the cilantro, reserving a bit for a garnish. Stir gently to mix everything together and heat through. 
• Season with salt and fresh black pepper, and taste it to see if you need more lemon juice; rice dishes need lots of seasoning.
• Top the kedgeree with the egg quarters, garnish with more cilantro and serve the yogurt on the side.
• Like so many dishes, kedgeree will only get better hanging out in the fridge if you want to make it ahead.

Give me a big plate of this and I'll watch anything... even the Oscars!

Edna Lewis' Grits: #36 on Gourmet's List of Women Game Changers

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This week we're up to #36 on Gourmet's list of the 50 Women Game Changers in the world of food: Edna Lewis---granddaughter of a freed slave who dedicated her life to reviving and recording the heritage of old fashioned Southern cooking.  Thanks to Mary from One Perfect Bite for organizing a group of us cooking and blogging our way through this list, one dish at a time.  Check back every Friday for another story and recipe from the list, and e-mail Mary if you'd like to join the group

Ms. Lewis was the antithesis of a trendy chef.  She believed that great cooking took place in the family kitchen, not in fine restaurants, and her one mission in life was to keep the down-home Southern cooking she grew up with from slipping into obscurity.  She was born in Freetown, Virginia, a small farming community settled by freed slaves, among them her own grandfather.  She learned to cook over a wood fire, without special tools or equipment.  Biscuit dough would be assembled using various sized coins to mete out small amounts of salt and baking powder, and 'fistfuls' to measure the flour.  Ingredients were limited to what they could grow, raise, or hunt, and she carried this passion for the simple tastes and techniques she grew up with into her early career as a chef in New York.  She and her husband opened the successful Cafe Nicholson in Manhattan in 1948 at a time when women and blacks rarely rose out of the dish washing ranks.  She went on to write four seminal cookbooks on Southern cuisine, the second of which is the classic The Taste of Country Cooking, which is part cookbook, part memoir.  Her writings evoke an intense nostalgia for the way food was---

"So many great souls have passed off the scene. The world has changed. We are now faced with picking up the pieces and trying to put them into shape, document them so the present-day young generation can see what southern food was like. The foundation on which it rested was pure ingredients, open-pollinated seed—planted and replanted for generations—natural fertilizers. We grew the seeds of what we ate, we worked with love and care."

 ''As a child in Virginia, I thought all food tasted delicious. After growing up, I didn't think food tasted the same, so it has been my lifelong effort to try and recapture those good flavors of the past.''     
 ~~~ 1989 NYT interview

I chose Edna's Grits because they are a good example of her purist traditional style. When asked about the iconic Southern dish, she would only say "People should leave grits alone", meaning cook them in a little milk and water, mix in some cream and fresh butter, that's it.  I topped them with fresh caught Maine native shrimp sauteed in butter and a splash of sherry.  I hope she'd approve.

Grits     ~~~Edna Lewis

2 cups water, or more
2 cups milk, or more
1 cup stone-ground or regular grits
kosher salt
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. unsalted butter

• Heat the 2 cups water and milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan until just simmering.
   
• While the milk is heating, put the stone-ground grits into a large mixing bowl and cover with cool water. Stir the grits assertively so that the chaff floats to the top. Skim the surface carefully and remove the chaff. Drain the grits in a fine strainer. (If you are using regular grits, skip this step.) Stir grits into the simmering water and milk. Cook, stirring often, until the grits are tender to the bite and have thickened to the consistency of thick oatmeal. As the grits thicken, stir them more often to keep them from sticking and scorching. Regular grits are done in about 20 minutes, but stone-ground require an hour or a little more to cook, and you will have to add additional milk and water as needed.
   
• Season the grits generously with salt and stir in the cream and butter. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, until serving. Serve hot.

For Shrimp and Grits, saute fresh peeled shrimp in good butter, add a spash of sherry and reduce the sauce.  Season with salt and pepper and serve over grits.

Check out these other bloggers who are exploring Gourmet's 50 Women Game Changers along with me---
Val - More Than Burnt Toast
Joanne - Eats Well With Others
Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed
Susan - The Spice Garden
Heather - girlichef
Miranda of Mangoes and Chutney
Mary - One Perfect Bite
Barbara - Movable Feasts
Jeanette - Healthy Living
Linda - Ciao Chow Linda
Linda A - There and Back Again
Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits,
Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen
Annie - Lovely Things
Nancy - Picadillo
Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook
Kathy- Bake Away With Me 
Alyce - More Time at the Table
Amrita - Beetles Kitchen Escapades

Lasagna Arrabbiata

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Arrabiata , meaning angry, is a classic spicy hot Roman pasta sauce, and my version here is full of fiery chili pepper flakes, scorched roasted tomatoes, and garlic.  But this particular lasagna has a kinder, gentler side to it, made with delicate fresh sheets of pasta, ricotta scooped and drained just moments before baking, milky white shards of mozzerella so fresh it's impossible to slice, and basil leaves pinched and placed as needed right from the bouquet.

I made this entire dish, including the fresh ricotta, while talking long distance to my sister in California, with the phone balanced in the crook of my neck.  Like most lasagnas, it's not difficult, just time consuming, so the conversation was a good distraction.

As lasagnas go, this one is very simple.  No meat, no veggies.  I wanted the focus to be on the contrast between the spicy sauce and the delicate freshness of the pasta noodles and cheeses.  I found the fresh frozen pasta sheets at Terra Cotta, a small New England chain that specializes in artisan pasta.  If you can't find fresh, use no-boil noodles instead.

It was too late in the day to get much in the way of photos, but I wanted to post this anyway because, since we're inching towards spring, it could be a while before I make another lasagna. 

Lasagna Arrabbiata 
oven to 400
4 full sheets of fresh pasta, cut, if necessary, to fit your baking pan (You can also use no-boil noodles)
1 batch fresh ricotta (see recipe below)
1 egg, beaten
10-12 plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
4-5 cloves garlic
olive oil
Italian seasoning
salt and fresh pepper
1 large jar of plain tomato sauce 
1 1/2 tsp hot red pepper flakes
1/3 cup red wine
2 balls of fresh mozzerella, thinly sliced or shredded
1 large bunch fresh basil
Freshly grated Parmesan

• If you are using frozen pasta sheets, open them and let them thaw on the counter, they thaw quickly.
• Put the cloves of garlic (skin on) and the tomatoes cut side up on an oiled baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.  Roast them in the hot oven for about 1/2 hour or until they are shrunken and well roasted.  When done, turn the oven down to 350.
• Put the tomatoes in a blender or food processor.  Squeeze the pulp out of the garlic cloves and add them to the tomatoes.  Pulse the mixture until roughly pureed. 
• Pour the bottled  tomato sauce into a bowl and add the roasted tomato mixture and wine to it.  Stir to blend and salt to taste.  Set aside.
• Take the ricotta and blend it with the beaten egg and 1 tsp salt.  Set aside.
• Ladle a little of the sauce on the bottom of your lasagna baker and spread it out.  Lay 1 pasta sheet on top.  Spread or dollop 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the pasta and lay out basil leaves to cover the layer.  Ladle sauce on top, covering the entire layer.  Add 1/4 of the mozzerella, and spread out evenly.
• Top with the second sheet of pasta and, using a spatula, press it down evenly so it is as flat as possible.  Layer it the same way, starting with the ricotta and basil, then sauce, then mozzerella. Remember to flatten out each pasta sheet as you go.
• Layer the third sheet and finally top the lasagna with the fourth sheet of pasta.  Ladle a layer of sauce over the entire top, add the last 1/4 of mozzerella, and top liberally with grated Parmesan.  You want this to be fairly 'saucy', but not drowning in it.  I had a bit leftover.  Cover loosely with non-stick foil and put in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes.  Take off the foil and bake another 10 minutes until bubbling throughout.

Leftovers?  Even better.

* Fresh Ricotta
1/2 gallon whole milk
1 tsp salt
the juice of 1 lemon (1/4 cup)

• Put the milk and salt in a heavy bottomed pot and heat until almost boiling over medium heat.  You will see bubbles starting to roil under the surface.  If your milk actually boils, that's ok, just take it off the heat and continue.
• Stir in the lemon juice and set the pan off the heat.  Let it sit for a minute; the curds will start to form immediately.
• Gently scoop out the curds into a cheesecloth lined strainer set over a bowl to catch the excess liquid.  As you scoop, more curds will be forming.  Be sure to get all the curds...the remaining liquid will be thin and watery.  
• Turn the drained ricotta out from the cheesecloth into a bowl, and it's ready to use or store.

Mini Lady Grey Tea Cakes with Honey Frosting: Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cook off!

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It's time for round 2 of the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cook Off.  Heather at Girlichef is hosting the event and asked a group of bloggers to join her in getting out the word--- Joy Wilson of the Joy the Baker blog has a cookbook debuting this month!  We got  advance copies of the book in exchange for sharing with our readers a few of Joy's recipes.  Last week I made the unbelievable Frosted Brownies.  This week it's a more elegant sweet, tailor made for the ladies who lunch: little cupcakes infused with Lady Grey Tea.

In Joy's original recipe these are Chamomile Tea Cakes.  But since I've never liked chamomile tea, (I think it reminds me of being sick, which is the only time I ever drink it)  I didn't think she would mind if I substituted Lady Grey.  Lady Grey is a more delicate variation of Earl Grey tea, it has a light floral/citrusy aroma, made with oil of bergamot, (from the rind of a sour citrus from Italy) lemon, and Seville orange. 

Since I'm being honest, let me also tell you that I didn't think I was going to like these...I just wasn't sure how I felt about dumping the contents of a tea bag into cupcake batter.  But guess what?  I was utterly wrong!  I really like the aromatic, lingering flavor the tea gives to these cupcakes.  It blends with the vanilla really well.  And it seems to me that you could substitute whatever tea you like here with no problem, whether it's an herbal tea, like Joy's original, or a black or even green tea.  This represents a brave new world of flavors for me, and I'm already planning some tea infused shortbread...thank you Joy!

   
I like the batter for these cakes, too.  It's very simple and non fussy, and the perfect amount for 12 flat cupcakes, which is sometimes just what you want when you are aiming for the little tea-cake look and don't want a domed top.

I highly recommend these grown-up cupcakes.  They're perfect for a shower or tea, or if you're called upon to bring something to a book group, or an office party.  They're easy to make and they are conversation pieces.  Not to mention that they taste delicious.  I garnished mine with a little lemon zest to echo the citrus in the Lady Grey, along with a dusting of the tea itself.  I think these would be fabulous with edible flowers on top, too. 

Mini Lady Grey Tea Cakes with Honey Frosting     ~~~slightly altered from Joy Wilson's 
                                                                                              Joy the  Baker Cookbook
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
The contents of 2 bags of Lady Grey Tea (the original calls for 3 Tbsp dried chamomile, from tea bags)
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
for the frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 Tbsp honey
6 Tbsp heavy cream
pinch of salt 

• Place a rack in the upper third of the oven, and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with paper or foil liners and set aside. You can also grease and flour the cupcake pans and not use any liners.
• To make the cakes: in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chamomile leaves. The mixture will be slightly coarse and sandy when mixed for several minutes.
• Whisk together milk, egg and vanilla.
• Pour half of the milk mixture into the flour mixture with the mixer on medium-low speed. Beat until just incorporated.
• Pour in the remaining milk mixture, and turn mixer up to medium. Beat for 1 minute, until well blended.
• Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake cups. There isn’t a lot of batter, so you’ll only fill the liners up about halfway. You’ll also need a spatula to scrape the bowl for remaining batter.This recipe doesn’t waste a drop of cake batter.
• Bake cupcakes for 17 to 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and allow cakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove cakes to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
• To make the frosting: whisk together sifted powdered sugar, honey, cream, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth. Use a butter knife to generously spread the frosting a top the cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with a bit of chamomile leaves and arrange on a pretty plate. Cakes will last, well wrapped, at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book, but all opinions are my own.
*This post is part of the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef*

Apple Almond Crisp: love the one you're with

Pin It I know that strawberry from Guatemala is tempting.  He and his friends are big and bright red and they're right there when you walk into the supermarket...it's really hard to avoid eye contact...but in your heart you know it's wrong.  And anyway, chances are, underneath that flashy exterior he'd be a big dud.

Let's be real.  It's February. I'm guessing you're still watching the news on the couch huddled in a warm blanket, am I right?  Keep a Kleenex box in every room?  Uh huh.  Sleeping with your socks on?  I thought so.

So before you get all, flip-flops and Ray-Bans, and take a step back, breathe, and take a moment to appreciate the here and now.  You've probably forgotten all about apples. They've been stalwart company throughout the winter, and they're still delicious.  Don't you remember how you craved them last August? 

Why don't you spend some quality time together. Do something frivolous for a change, just the two of you.
 

You can whip this up in the time it takes to preheat the oven.  Change it out any way you want.  Just keep the apples.  You know it's the right thing to do.

Apple Almond Crisp   (Gluten free!)
serves 4
oven to 375
5 or 6 apples, peeled and sliced
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 Tbsp heavy cream
Topping
1/2 cup almond meal or almond flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/3 tube almond paste, crumbled
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut in pieces
1 tsp almond extract
creme fraiche mixed with a few vanilla bean seeds for serving

• Pile the apple slices into a 8 or 9" baking dish, toss with the lemon juice and drizzle with the cream.
• Put the rest of the ingredients, except the creme fraiche, into a bowl. Mix the topping together using your fingertips to break up the butter and the almond paste and incorporate everything evenly into a crumbly  texture.  
• Sprinkle the topping over the apples and bake for about 40 minutes.  Cover the top with foil for the last 10 minutes if it's getting too brown.
• Serve hot with the creme fraiche, whipped cream, or ice cream.