"Yer a Wizard, Harry!": Halloweeny Cooking and Booking Week 2

Cook Rating: ★★★★☆      Book Rating: ★★★★★

Welcome back to another week of the Let's Cook GF and Book AF Halloween Spooktacular! Last week's Carrie inspired recipe was my favorite one yet... having it for leftovers a couple days later before my night class was such a special treat!

This week I decided to create a delicious gluten-free apple crisp based on one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE book series, Harry Potter! I read Harry Potter for the first time in the sixth or seventh grade, and the magical story within its pages still enchants me even now at age 20. Harry, Ron, and Hermione is in my opinion one of the best literary trios out there because they are each so different from one another yet they make an incredible team. 

If you have lived under a rock for the past 20 years and do not know the story of Harry Potter, allow me to quickly explain. In the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry is an orphaned boy living under the roof of his malicious aunt and uncle. Harry's life is miserable until learns from Hagrid, a friendly giant, that he is a wizard and is invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry quickly agrees, and his new life starts. He receives his own magic wand and owl, becomes a member of the Gryffindor house and quidditch team, takes classes in Charms, Defense the Dark Arts, and Potions, and makes lifelong friends in Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Throughout the series, Harry and his friends valiantly fight evil for the good of Hogwarts and the entire Wizarding world. Harry is "the chosen one," so it is up to him to defeat  "he who must not me named," also known as Lord Voldemort. 

This series is perfect for Halloween because of its magic, mythical creatures, and spooky occurrences. In the first book, Harry and his classmates celebrate Halloween in the Great Hall, where the four long house tables are adorned with delicious foods and treats. I can imagine that apple crisp is definitely something that would've a favorite among the young witches and wizards. Even though apple crisp seems like a distinctly American dessert and Harry Potter is a British story, this dessert gives me the same warm and homey feeling as reading Harry Potter does. 

Here is the recipe! This recipe is inspired by My Gluten-Free Kitchen, but I did make some changes. 

Ingredients
12 sliced apples (I didn't peel them because I was lazy 😂)
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 lemon, squeezed
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup GF flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1 Cup GF oats (I used Quaker's GF oats)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter
Scoop of vanilla ice cream! (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Using an apple cutter, cut the apples and place them into a bowl.
3. Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon to the apples and mix.
4. Squeeze lemon on top of the apple cinnamon mixture.
5. In a separate bowl, stir 2 tsp cinnamon with the brown sugar, flour, oats, nutmeg, and salt.
6. Slice stick of butter into quarter inch pieces and place into the flour mixture.
7. Using a whisk or potato masker press down on mixture to break down the butter.
8. Place apples into 8x10 inch pan.
9. Add flour mixture and make sure it is evened throughout all of the apples.
10. Bake for 45 minutes and enjoy!


This recipe was so delicious! What I would do differently is next time I would spend the time to peel all of the apples. The skin didn't have too big of an effect on the finished product, but it definitely was noticeable.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

xoxo,
Mary 💖

"It does not do to dwell on dreams, Harry, and forget to live."
-Albus Dumbledore
JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone