Apple Crisp Pizza

This Taste of Home recipe reminds me of the perfect fall dessert with its bounty of apples and beautiful fall-brown color. This is a terrific hand-held crisp, or good warmed with vanilla bean ice cream.

PASTRY

2 cups flour

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled

1/4 cup shortening, cut into pieces and chilled

4 to 5 tbsp. cold water

FILLING

2/3 cup sugar

3 tbsp. flour

1 tbsp. ground cinnamon

4 medium baking apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices

TOPPING

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup rolled oats

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping

1. For pastry, mix flour and salt in bowl. With pastry blender or fingertips, combine butter and shortening into flour mixture until texture of coarse meal. Gradually add water, tossing with fork, until mixture begins to mass together. Shape dough into a ball, then flatten slightly to a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 45 minutes.

2. Roll pastry to fit a 12-inch pizza pan, between 1/8 and 1/2-inch thick; trim and flute edges.

3. Combine sugar, 3 tbsp. flour and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a bowl. Add apples and toss. Arrange apples in a single layer in a circular pattern to completely cover pastry.

4. Combine the first 5 topping ingredients with the leftover cinnamon-sugar mixture from the apples. Sprinkle over apples.

5. Bake at 350º for 40 minutes or until apples are tender. Remove from the oven and immediately drizzle with caramel topping. Yield: 12 servings.