This 45-Year-Old School Cafeteria Recipe Is Still My Favorite Dessert

I must've been destined for something special. On the day I was born via Cesarean section, Eddie McCormick delivered a treat to my mom in the hospital. As the head of food and beverage at Greenwich Country Day School in Connecticut, Eddie was renowned for one dish above all others: his apple crisp. That dessert became my introduction to the school community where my dad taught art and where I would spend eight years of my childhood.

From the moment I stepped into GCDS as a first grader, I was captivated by the family-style meals in the dining hall (which we never called a cafeteria). Teachers and visiting parents would sit at the head of the table, leading a rotating group of students every two weeks. One child would be the waiter, responsible for bringing food to the table, while another had the unenviable job of being the sub-waiter, tasked with cleaning everyone’s dirty plates.

McCormick’s cooking elevated our school lunches beyond the ordinary. Favorites included turkey à la king, buttery grilled cheese with tomato soup, and Jacks & Jills—a French bread dish topped with Sloppy Joe meat and cheese, then broiled. I always looked forward to 'Chicken Roundup,' a meal made by combining leftover barbecue chicken, cutlets, and other chicken preparations, served alongside buttery egg noodles.

But without a doubt, the most popular dish in McCormick’s repertoire was his apple crisp. Sometimes it came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, served by the teacher who presided over our table. In later years, it became common to pair it with a warm hard sauce. These days, I still make it with that same sauce.

Eddie McCormick’s apple crisp remains my all-time favorite dessert to make at home. Despite my reputation as a skilled cook, known for everything from 72-hour fermented pizza dough to a roasted chicken that would make Plato proud, baking cakes and cookies still stresses me out. This incredibly simple recipe, which I've adapted with a pinch of cinnamon, has been my go-to since elementary school.

In 1992, GCDS mothers and staff compiled their beloved recipes into a ring-bound cookbook called Country Days and Nights, raising funds for the performing and visual arts departments. Not surprisingly, the book features everything from caviar-egg-avocado molds and lobster mousse to more everyday fare like my mother’s rice-filled “porcupine” meatballs.

Though my husband is the designated baker at home—his rose-and-pistachio chiffon cake was unforgettable—when it’s my turn to take on more than just the savory dishes, especially in the fall, I turn to the recipe from Country Days and Nights dubbed 'a GCDS lunchroom favorite.' Even after forty years, page 111 is forever dusted with cinnamon, a reminder of how those sweet oats and apples first taught me the meaning of comfort food.

I was practically born with this recipe in my hands, but even those new to it will quickly make this classic a staple in their kitchen.

How to Prepare Greenwich Country Day School’s Famous Apple Crisp

Ingredients List

For the Crisp Topping:

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 stick butter
• ⅔ cup brown sugar
• ⅓ cup white sugar 
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ cup uncooked oats
• 2 pounds tart cooking apples (about six medium apples)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the Sauce:

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 pinch salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Combine flour, butter, sugar, and cinnamon until the mixture resembles rice-sized crumbs. Stir in uncooked oats and mix thoroughly.
2. Peel, core, and slice the apples, then arrange them in a greased 9-inch baking dish. Flatten the apples and press them down firmly.
3. Drizzle with lemon juice and top with the oat mixture.
4. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the apples are tender and bubbly.
5. In a separate bowl, mix softened butter with powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in the extract and salt, then serve alongside the apple crisp.