I recently moved to a new office, and everything has been great so far- the account is interesting and a challenge with tons to learn, everyone on the team is nice, it’s 5 minutes from the beach, and there’s a Whole Foods within walking distance! The one thing I wish I could change is the two and a half hours of driving every day.

In Los Angeles, public transportation is not easily accessible from most parts of the city, so driving is the only way. Patience is a virtue I lack, so I deal with the long and arduous commute by listening to audio books and taking long deep breaths when other drivers are being exceptionally horrendous (every day).

It’s become bearable, but I now limit my driving on weekends. I also try to save time elsewhere when possible, which is why upgrading to a normal sized crock pot made so much sense.

My first dish in the crock pot?

Apples!

Because Fall.

Also, because Rob’s friend made some for dessert this weekend, and they were delicious!

Unlike oven baked apples which can dry out a bit, these apples are cooked in a crock-pot, where the lid keeps all the moisture in. They break down to the point right before they turn into apple sauce. These are just the right level of sweet, and super tender with a juicy bite, as they retain so much moisture. The crumble on top is practically steamed, equal parts gooey and caramelized.

A warm kitchen and the smell of apple crumble wafting through the house bring a special feeling associated with Fall. It’s pretty high up there on my list of favorite things about the season. So get cozy, serve these with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and you’re golden!

Slow Cooker Baked Apples

This recipe yields four apples, since that is basically how many would fit into my 4.5 quart crock-pot.

• 4 Fuji apples
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, chopped into small pieces
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt

Cut out apple cores starting with the stem, but not cutting all the way through the bottom (so the crumble doesn’t fall out of the apples).

In a medium size bowl whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add in the chopped butter until just mixed.

Fill each apple with crumble mix. Pour a half cup of water into the slow cooker, then arrange apples evenly inside.

Cover the apples and cook on high for about two and a half hours. Apples should be just on the verge of collapsing.

Carefully remove from the crock pot with tongs (this was tricky).

Serve immediately and enjoy!