Kabul Crisp

Baking presents a unique challenge here in Kabul. My first batch of cookies came out as flat as a tortilla. My second baking attempt, a pie, looked perfect heading into the oven… and while the filling was indeed perfect, the crust was as tough as a day old biscuit.

The challenges are these… altitude and ingredients of dubious origin and quality.

A barbecue was announced to help break the monotony of a long weekend and a call went out for side dishes. Though I’d had only limited success mastering my oven, I decided to give it another try – this time with an apple crisp.

So when I decided to bake an apple crisp, was on.

• Apples, check
• Spices, check
• Lemon juice / zest, yes…but I forgot to purchase (oops)
• Butter, flour & sugar, check
• Oats, FAIL

The only oats I could find were quick-cook and the consistency was all wrong. I wasn’t about to let that deter me, so I scoured the store for a substitute. Actually I went to the baking section, found no oats and ended up back in the cereal isle hoping I’d just overlooked some proper oats there. That’s when I spotted the perfect substitute… an organic oat, nut and raisin cereal.

Final result? The perfect Kabul crisp!!