My Mom’s Apple Crisp

4- 6 cups peeled, cored and sliced tart apples (about 5 apples; use enough to fill the pan)

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

ground cinnamon, to taste

½ cup unsalted butter

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

teaspoon salt

¾ cup all-purpose flour

Cream or vanilla ice cream (optional)

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, toss the apples and lemon juice together. Sprinkle with cinnamon, to taste.

In a medium bowl, using your fingers, work the butter, sugar, salt and flour together until crumbly.

Put the apples in the prepared pan, and pat the crumbly topping evenly over all.

Bake until the apples are tender and the topping is dark brown and bubbly, about 1 hour. Serve warm or cold, with cream or ice cream, if using.

Four to six.

Diana Calta and from “Beat This!” by Ann Hodgman (2011 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)