Chocolate Apple Crisp

This is the perfect dessert for a day like today. Rainy, humid and just plain ugly. Comfort food is a must. I walked a lot and half of the time under a light drizzle that eventually made my shoes make a squishy, watery noise and my jeans be soaked up to the knees. At first there´s a faint feeling of humid feet and, before you know it or are smart enough to grab a cab, you look like a poor soul, wet hair sticking to your forehead, the most diverse leaves and twigs clamped to your pants and the disbelieving looks of passers-by that can´t quite place why you ended up in such a state. It´s not like I´m a teenager anymore, I don´t look cute in such a sorry state.

The funny thing is that I kind of enjoyed my ride, knowing I was walking back home, to a nice shower and a bowl of chocolate apple crisp.

Thanks to my tornado, multi-tasker, skinny blogging friend Liz, I joined a group about chocolate. Let´s not even get into the reasons because there´s only one: chocolate. Once a month, paired with another ingredient, bake with a bunch of awesome bloggers group. The mind behind it is Roxana, of Roxana´s Home Baking and is aptly called Chocolate Party.

You are invited to link up any chocolate apple recipe you make in september on our Chocolate Party page. Check out the fantastic recipes and get inspired!

The september ingredient, besides chocolate, is apples. I decided to make a chocolate apple crisp, based on my grandmothers´recipe and also on a recipe in this book, which has become a bit of a favorite lately. The result is incredible. Really, the combination of apples, cocoa and buckwheat is amazing. And it comes together in no time. Perfect for so many occasions when you need a fast and somewhat different dessert. I didn´t try it with some fresh cream, but I imagine it will be even better.

CHOCOLATE APPLE CRISP

Note: the crumble is enough for twice the amount of apples.

4 green apples

Juice of half a lemon

4 Tbs sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 Tbs chopped walnuts (optional)

2/3 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup buckwheat flour

1 ½ Tbs cocoa powder

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2/3 cup butter, cold

½ cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven in 350ºF (180ºC).

Butter 8 individual ceramic ramekins.

In a small bowl mix sugar, cinnamon and walnuts if using.

For the crumble, in the bowl of a food processor add flours, cocoa, brown sugar and pulse a few times to mix. Add butter in pieces and pulse until clumps begin to form. Transfer to a medium bowl and reserve.

Peel, core and cut apples in small dice. Divide evenly among bottom of ramekings, sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon mixture and drizzle with the lemon juice.

Put two Tbs of flour/butter mixture over the apples, distributing evenly. Divide chocolate chips evenly among ramekins.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until dry and bubbly.