Note: This is a tremendously variable recipe to suit the season and your taste. In late summer, throw in a peach or two; in fall, a couple pears add earthiness. If you like nutmeg, a little bit goes well in the topping. If you prefer almonds over walnuts or pecans, they’re tasty, too. I grew up enjoying the traditional recipe, but when my mother developed an allergy to dairy and me to wheat, she created the delicious gluten-free, dairy-free version below.

Servings: 8-10

For traditional Filling:

A mix of tart and sweet apples (Braeburn, Jonathan, Rome, honeycrisp, whatever) to fill a 9-by-13-inch glass baking pan (about 3-4 pounds)

2 tablespoons butter

½-1 cup apple juice (vary amount depending on variety of apples to keep them juicy during baking)

For traditional topping:

1½ cups oatmeal

3 tablespoons flour

½ cup brown sugar

1 cup walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped

6 ounces butter, melted

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Peel and thinly slice the apples and arrange in buttered pan. Pour juice over top and dot with butter.

Mix topping ingredients together in a bowl and crumble over the apples until covered.

Bake 45 minutes to an hour, until the top is browned and the apples are bubbling and cooked through.

For gluten- and dairy-free Filling:

Use filling ingredients above, omitting the butter

Canola oil (to grease pan)

For gluten- and dairy-free topping:

1¾ cups oatmeal

½ cup maple syrup

1¼ cups canola oil

1 cup walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Method:

Follow the same method as above, using canola oil instead of butter to grease pan. Be aware this topping cooks a bit faster because it contains no flour.

Recipes by Judith Hasterok Small.