Check out this one. You can add more sugar to the top but this is wonderful as is:

Roselin's Apple or Peach Crisp

Butter an 8x8x2" baking dish.
Add 4c peeled, sliced apples or peaches
1/2c water
Mix with a pastry cutter til butter is the size of peas
3/4c flour
1/2c white sugar
1/2c brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2c butter
dash of salt
Spread over fruit.
Bake at 350° until fruit is tender and crust is brown....
about 30-45 minutes.
Serve with cream, ice cream, or whipped cream
Serves 4-6

I just made this (twice) and it's in the oven. OK, confessions of a novice....As I read this above, I buttered, then put in my apples...THEN I mixed everything else, and you can imagine what happened? I thought the water went with the rest...so I had batter instead of crust...blonde moment? Guess so....

For clarity purposes You butter the dish, add the APPLES AND THE WATER, THEN mix the rest :) It was very simple and I"m sure will be yummy. thanks!

it's done, nice taste, a little watery though, any suggestions on how to best thicken it up? maybe dusting the apples first with flour?

Leave the water out next time!! I have tried a lot of receipes & don't have any apple crisp receipes using water. If you had used peaches they juice up even more & would run all over the plate. Try it, you'll like it!! Jan

It depends on how juicy the apples are.

Yes, Ginger covered it well..........now that apples are just coming into season, they are much more juicy than they will be later in the year. This recipe came from Fannie Farmer's Cookbook and I have used it for years.

Sounds good- is this dough enough to put under the apples also? I am terrible- I love the pastry just as much as the apples! I have never put water in either. I'll try it tomorrow! Thanks.

No, no "dough" under the fruit......actually, it isn't really a dough......more like a streusel topping.

The one I had was from 'Better Homes and Garden' magazine- I think, from about 1982. It was labeled 'crisp', with dough top and bottom. It was the best I have ever made, and it got thrown out by accident.

Does this look similar to what you are looking for? When I was in college, I waitressed and the young cook there was famous for his Apple Pan Dowdy -which is like Apple Crisp, but with a thicker top. There is a picture along with a recipe in the attached link, so thought it might help...

Here is a link that might be useful: Apple Pan Dowdy

bestyears- It looks like this would have more of a cake texture- I am looking for more of a pastry type- I guess it was really a pie with top and bottom crust- except both crusts were thick. I am picturing make 4 crusts- 2 for the top and 2 for the bottom! Boy- if that isn't a carbohydrate high!
It just shows what I like the best about pies....the crust!
I remember throwing the recipe away- thinking I hadn't made it for years, as it is just myself now.....bad idea- now I want it.
Thanks for thinking about it though.
The pie crust hog.

Well I'm a pie crust hog myself (love it raw!) so I can relate. Also always in search of the best apple crisp... You're right, apple pan dowdy is more of a cakey texture on top. Good luck with your search...and please post it if you figure it out!

Did you ever find this recipe? I am looking for the same one! I had this pie over the weekend and it is the BEST!!! I'm trying to track down a copy of the recipe from the person who made the pie. If I have any luck, I will be sure to pass it along to you. If you were able to get a copy, would you please forward a copy of it to me? Thanks!