Apple Cobbler

This apple cobbler recipe was so difficult to get just right! The first time I made it, I only used 2 apples (and didn’t pre-cook them) with my handy dandy biscuit recipe as the topping…woof. Basically, I ended up with biscuits that had a few slimy (and some crunchy) apples stuck to their bottoms. Not good.

Then, I tried it again with 3 apples (this time pre-cooked) and reduced my biscuit recipe by half. Definitely not good. The apples were okay, but my ratio of liquid to starch was off, and there still wasn’t enough of them to enjoy. Plus, I felt like there wasn’t enough topping! So, I traversed back to the apple orchard (aka Kroger) for more supplies.

For my third attempt, I wanted to experiment with a different topping. Instead of a sweetened biscuit, I went with more of a pancake style batter. This attempt is where I nailed my apples. I used 2 lbs., the perfect amount, and just the right amount of lemon juice and flour to achieve the saucy, sweet, and slightly softened apples of my dreams - watch out, Cracker Barrel!

However, after baking, I wasn’t a big fan of this topping. It was fine…but too cakey for my style. Now it didn’t seem like a cobbler, but more of an upside-down apple cake (minus the upside-down situation).

So, for my last (and very best) attempt, I kept the apple filling the same, but went with a biscuit topping ratio that was somewhere in the middle of my first two attempts. And there I had it! The perfect balance of apples to topping. I was finally satisfied. But the downside is that now I am officially sick of apples, and officially out of vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients for the filling

1/2 stick of butter (4 tbsp.), melted and browned

*2 lbs. apples, sliced

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground all-spice

1 ½ tbsp. all-purpose flour

1/4 cup lemon juice (1 small lemon or 1/2 of a large)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

*I used Gala apples, but choose whichever type you’d like based on your preference. Gala apples are usually available year-round, and they don’t get too soggy while they’re in the oven.

Ingredients for the topping

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

5 tsp. granulated sugar

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. table salt

1 cup buttermilk

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, very cold

Sparkling sugar, for topping

Directions

Melt butter on your stove top over medium heat. If you have a light colored pan, that is preferable so that you can see when the butter is browning.

As the butter starts to turn from yellow to caramel, grab a silicone spatula and push the mixture around the pan, lifting up the fond (brown bits) that is trying to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add all of the remaining ingredients to the pan, and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The apples will start to soften and become jammy, and the sauce will thicken. Once it does, remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

Make a well in the dry mixture, then, with a cheese grater in the middle of the well, grate in the frozen butter.

Add your buttermilk and gently mix until you get dough that’s sticky and clings to itself.

Add apples to a greased cast-iron pan. If you don’t have one, an 8x8 baking pan works fine, too.

Spoon cobbler topping onto the apples. Don’t worry about making sure all the dollops appear the same. It’s supposed to look undone and a little messy. Sprinkle sparkling sugar on top. This is what I used.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cobbler topping has started to brown.

Let the cobbler rest in the pan for five minutes, then spoon out and serve (preferably with a hefty scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top!).

Enjoy!

Buddy decided to take a siesta on this chair I got at the thrift shop (for only $8!). I, of course, had to snap a pic of his furry cuteness.