With Thanksgiving approaching, one starts to think of all the warm comfort foods that the harvest brings: beautiful vegetables like squash, pumpkin and potatoes - mashed and buttered. Fall also brings a bounty of apples - crisp red, green, and golden gems that can be done up into pies, baked with cinnamon and raisins, or chopped up for apple crumbles and crisps.

We are fortunate to have many pick-your-own apple farms in Ontario such as Chudleigh's (www.chudleighs.com) where you can venture out into the apple orchard and pick a variety of apples such as McIntosh, Spartan, Gala, Fuji, Cortland and Honeycrisp.

While you're there, enjoy the fruit of your labour. Bite into a few crisp apples, but don't forget to bring some home for baking. Here's a recipe that will make a wonderful dessert for Thanksgiving or any Fall meal.

Recipe: Baked Apple Betties

These "betties" are individual apple crisps, and will be a hit when served warm with vanilla or butterscotch ice cream. This recipe is adapted from Alton Brown's television show, "Good Eats", on The Food Network.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (175 mL) oats
3/4 cup (175 mL) flour
2/3 cup (150 mL) light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
pinch (pinch) kosher salt
1/4 cup (50 mL) cold unsalted butter, diced
6 Fuji, Cortland or Braeburn apples
6 tsp (20 mL) honey

Directions:

In bowl, combine all dry ingredients and diced butter. Rub briskly between finger tips until it forms small moist clumps in a loose sandy mixture. Refrigerate while preparing apples.

Slice small layer off bottom of each apple to create a flat, stable bottom surface. With small paring knife, cut a cylindrical cone out of top of each apple, moving about 1-inch outside of core, similar to removing top of a pumpkin when carving a Jack O'Lantern. Remove tops and discard. With melon baller or teaspoon, remove the remaining core and seeds taking care not to puncture base of each apple.

Place apples on baking sheet or pie dish and fill each centre with 1 tsp of honey. Spoon in crumbly mixture, packing lightly until heaped and overflowing.

Bake in preheated 350 (180 C) degrees oven on top or middle rack for 40 minutes or until filling is golden brown and the tip of a paring knife can be inserted into the side of apple with little or no resistance. Let apples stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Servings: 6