Do I Really Bake?

Yes, I do! I enjoy baking a lot. I regularly make cookies and breads from scratch. 

I've had several comments from readers about a part in Calming the Storm where Rachel is making an apple crisp. People have told me that it sounds like I bake in real life. One reader even suggested that I include a recipe in my books. I thought this was a really neat idea, and I have decided to do just that.

I did go back and add Rachel's Apple Crisp recipe to the Kindle version of Calming the Storm. But I wanted to post that recipe for those of you who already have copies of the book, just in case you want to try it out for yourselves.

I make this apple crisp regularly and it is so yummy! You can also follow this recipe and substitute peaches, pears, and berries.  If you use any canned fruit, drain it, pour it in, and directly stir the cinnamon into that rather than add any water. That extra juice will compensate and you don't want the dessert to get too soggy!

I originally got this recipe from my sweet mom, who received the recipe from her mom. Without them, we would not have apple crisp at our home and I'm pretty sure it would be missed terribly!

Calming the Storm
Rachel’s Apple Crisp Recipe     

• 4 cups sliced apples
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ cup flour
• 1/3 cup soft butter

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF·          
• Spread the sliced apples in the bottom of an ungreased 8” x 8” pan 
• Combine the water and cinnamon in a bowl and then sprinkle that over the apples
• Work sugar, flour, and soft butter together until it is crumbly
• Spread the mixture over the apples evenly
• Sprinkle more cinnamon on top of the mixture according to your preference
• Bake uncovered for approximately 40 minutes
• This is delicious right out of the oven, with ice cream, and even cold from the fridge