crumble for a small crowd

I learned to cook in a student-run kitchen in college. We served one dinner to about sixty students each week. I started at the lowest spot on the ladder - onion-chopping detail - and gradually worked my way up to a head chef position, which I held for several years.

A vegetarian kitchen, we prided ourselves on our ability to accommodate everyone - even the pickiest eaters. On one memorable occasion, we made five dozen grilled cheese sandwiches - but after making two-thirds of them with cow's milk cheddar, we made two with goat cheese (for the bovine-intolerant), half a dozen with soy-based vegan cheese slices (for the vegans), two with non-soy-based vegan cheese slices (for the soy-allergic vegan), two with corn tortillas (for the gluten-free, in a time before gluten-free bread), and one with American cheese slices (for the young child of a student, who simply wouldn't eat anything else.)

It was a challenge, and I loved it. And I got very very good at vegan desserts, mostly because nobody else wanted to make them. On weeks when I wasn't the menu planner, it was common to see fruit platters drizzled with honey, or even just a bowl of chocolate chips next to whatever dairy dessert we were having. I took it upon myself to delight the small, but committed group of vegans who graced our kitchen each week.

I made coconut milk custards and puddings; a Thai sticky rice with sweet coconut sauce and fresh mango; the ever-popular Buckeye, a ball of peanut butter mixed with powdered sugar and dipped in chocolate. I fried bananas and served up mugs of spicy soy hot chocolate, spiked with cinnamon and cayenne. But all my desserts had something in common: none of them were baked.

I was afraid of vegan baking.

I figured no one would notice. After all, I'd raised the vegan dessert game. Some nights, I had to fend off hungry omnivores who were eager for a taste of my limited vegan alternatives!

But one night, I saw a student gaze longingly at the peach cobbler we'd put together, and sigh as she picked up yet another coconut pudding cup. I decided at that moment that I wasn't going to leave any of "my" vegans behind: whatever the omnivores got, so too would they.

The following week gave us a windfall of apples. As my fellow cooks started breaking out the butter and oats for a savory apple crumble, I took a deep breath and turned to the pantry.

The vegan apple crisp that followed was such a hit that we had to hide the second pan from the omnivores. I snuck the four vegan students out of the dining room and served them each a piping hot bowl, topped with a generous scoop of soy-based ice cream.

Vegan Apple Crisp (Serves 4)

Topping:

0.5 cup rolled oats

0.5 cup all-purpose flour

0.5 cups crushed nuts (pecans and walnuts are great; almonds are good; stay away from cashews and peanuts)

0.5 cup packed brown sugar

0.5 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

0.5 tsp nutmeg

optional: a handful of sesame seeds

Fruit base:

4 large apples (preferably McIntosh, Empire, or Granny Smith - something on the tarter side)

2 lemons, juiced

0.5 cup brown sugar

0.25 cup white sugar

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

Directions:

Chop the apples into bite-sized pieces. Toss with white and brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and lemon juice. Let sit for at least one hour; can sit as long as overnight in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 375 F (about 190 C)

Combine all the topping ingredients in a bowl and mix well; add a little more oil if it feels dry. If you grab a handful of the topping mixture and squeeze it in your fist, it should hold its shape briefly. If it doesn't, it's too dry; add a splash of oil and try the squeeze test again.

Toss the apples with the vegetable oil - they should look a bit shiny. This will help conduct the heat and cook them faster. Pour the apples (and the juice that will have come out while it sat) into a 9x9 baking pan, or split into individual ramekins. Spread the topping over the apples.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the topping has browned nicely. Serve with plenty of vegan ice cream.