Classic McIntosh Apple Crisp

Heat the oven to 190 °C (375 °F) with a rack in the middle. Rub a little of the butter over the inside of a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13-inch) baking dish and set the rest back in the fridge.

In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with the lemon zest and juice, the granulated sugar, cornstarch, 1 tsp of the cinnamon and the nutmeg until every slice is coated and glossy. Spread them in an even layer in the dish.

Tip: McIntosh soften fast, so keep the slices a full 1 cm thick or the filling turns to applesauce.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, the remaining cinnamon and the salt. Rub in the cold butter cubes with your fingertips for 2 to 3 minutes, until no dry flour remains and the mix forms damp clumps from crumbs to marble-sized clusters.

Tip: Work fast with cold hands; if the butter turns greasy, chill the bowl for 10 minutes before topping.

Scatter the oat topping loosely over the apples right to the edges, squeezing a few handfuls into bigger clusters as you go and without pressing it flat.

Bake on the middle rack for 40 to 45 minutes, until the topping is deep golden and crisp, thick juices bubble up around the edges, and a knife slides into the apples with no resistance.

Tip: If the top is browning before the juices bubble, lay foil loosely over it for the last 10 minutes.

Set the dish on a wire rack and let the crisp rest for 15 minutes, until the bubbling stops and the juices thicken into a glossy syrup around the fruit.

Spoon the warm crisp into bowls, scooping deep so each serving gets soft apples, syrup and crunchy topping, and finish each with a generous swirl of cold whipped cream.