Neighbor Gift: Stress-Free Apple Crisp

An important part of this Christmas season and the 'feast for our hearts' for Mr. H and I, were making neighbor gifts this year. Here is one of the two ideas we used to share with our very wonderful neighbors. Stress-free Apple Crisp!

You know the story. We all get frazzled during the holiday season. We try to do it all, and make it nice for folks that are dear to us. Well, here's a way to have your cake and eat it too! Wait. Better make that "apple crisp", not "cake". Whatever. :-) This is a nice way to share a no-stress, warm dessert with a busy friend. I got this idea from a book I found in the library. It's called Christmas Gifts of Good Taste 1998. 

Here's how you do it...

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First, put together your apple crisp kit:

4 cans (21 ounces each) apple pie filling

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup chilled butter or margarine

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in pecans. Divide the topping into 2 Ziploc bags; store in the refrigerator. Give each bag of topping with 2 cans apple pie filling and serving instructions. (makes 2 kits)

 

Include the serving instructions with your kit.

To serve: Spread 2 cans of apple pie filling in a lightly greased 9 X 13 baking dish. Sprinkle topping over the apples. Bake in a 400 ° F oven, 19- 21 minutes or until filling bubbles and topping is golden brown. Serve warm.

About 12 servings.

 

Get the gift ready for giving.

I printed up a  couple of little tags with a frazzled Santa clip art and fun font. I then packed each gift bag with 2 cans of apple pie filling, the Ziploc bag filled with the topping (making sure I labeled it "keep in the fridge" and "contains nuts"),  and the instructions.
<------------  Here's the instructions tag.

I attached the friendly tag with warm holiday wishes from our family on the outside of the gift bag, and voila! All done. A neighbor gift that comes completely from our pantry, computer and printer? Priceless.

Well, okay maybe not. But frugal, for sure!

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Merry Christmas!