Apple Cobbler

Earlier this week I bought 1/2 bushel of various types of apples. I'm not sure what I'm going to bake with most of them but I knew I wanted to make apple cobbler. I had recently come across a recipe that looked good and decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did because it was so delicious! This is also so much easier than making a pie, at least for me. I love cobblers and this is a recipe I'll be making often.

I used 5 apples (4 were large and 1 was small) and cut them in thin slices. It looked like too much to put in an 8x8 pan and I don't have an 11"x7" baking dish. I used a 2-qt. baking dish (and baked it on a baking sheet, just in case of any spill over), which worked out fine, but I could have baked it in something even bigger like a 9"x13" pan. I also baked it for the amount of time in the recipe, but later discovered the cobbler topping was a bit runny in some parts and the apples a bit crunchy, so next time I will bake it a little longer.

I did not change anything about the recipe or the ingredients and I would not in the future either - the taste of this cobbler was absolutely perfect! Unfortunately I did not take any photos but I will try to next time.

Update: I made this again two weeks later to freeze for Thanksgiving dessert. I made it in a 9x11" baking dish (3-quart baking dish). The only thing I changed was I used 6 large apples, but I kept the rest of the recipe the same. The amount fit perfectly in the dish (I could have even added another apple) and the cobbler topping was still enough.

Apple Cobbler

Recipe courtesy “Once Upon a Chef” Website

 

Apple cobbler is a rustic dish of apples bubbling in their juices beneath a biscuit crust that resembles a cobbled stone pathway.

 

FOR THE APPLE FILLING:

5 large baking apples (about 2½ lbs), peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick (see note)

⅓ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup (packed) dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for greasing the pan

 

FOR THE BISCUIT TOPPING:

1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off

7 Tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

1¾ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

1 stick (½ cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

1 cup buttermilk (see note)

 

FOR SERVING (OPTIONAL):

Vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream

 

Preheat oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease an 8-inch square or 2-quart baking dish with butter.

 

Make the Apple Filling: In a large bowl, combine the apples, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Toss until the apples are evenly coated. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and pat into an even layer. Dot with the 2 tablespoons butter.

 

Make the Biscuit Topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the cold butter and smoosh with your fingers (or cut in with a pastry cutter) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized clumps of butter within. Add the buttermilk and stir until just combined and evenly moistened. It will look lumpy; that's good. Do not overmix.

 

Using a large spoon, dollop 8 to 10 spoonfuls of the biscuit batter over the apples, allowing the filling to show through in spots (most of the filling will be covered). Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar over the batter.

 

Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the top is golden, about 45 minutes (keep an eye on it during the last 10 minutes; if it looks like it's getting too brown, cover it loosely with aluminum foil). Let the cobbler cool for 15 to 20 minutes, then serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

 

NOTES:

For the best flavor, use a combination of tart and sweet baking apples, such as Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Gala, Jonagold, Jonathan, and Golden Delicious. (Don't use all tart or all sweet, or the flavor won't be balanced. I typically use 2 Granny Smith, 2 Golden Delicious, and 1 Honeycrisp.

 

If you’d like to make your own buttermilk, it’s easy! Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a measuring cup. Pour milk to the 1-cup line (use this same ratio of lemon juice/vinegar to milk when you need more or less than 1 cup of buttermilk). Stir to combine the liquids. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes. You’ll begin to see small curdled bits in the mixture; this means it’s ready to add to the recipe. Note that homemade buttermilk is not cultured and thick like store-bought. Even if you don’t see much change in the appearance of the mixture, the acid has been added to your milk and it will work just like real buttermilk in most recipes.

 

Make-Ahead Instructions: The cobbler can be made one day ahead and kept, covered with foil, at room temperature. Reheat, covered with foil, in 300°F oven for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and continue reheating for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until warmed through.

Cinnamon Swirl Apple Bread

I've never made apple muffins or apple bread but I've been wanting to lately. I found this Cinnamon Swirl Apple Bread recipe online last night and it looked really good so I decided to give it a try. It was so easy to make and so delicious - it reminded me of my Aunt Lucia's coffee cake with the addition of apples.

I added 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts to my bread. I chopped my apple pieces small as I don't like big chunks of fruit in bread. I only had Fuji apples so that's what I used. I had a bit over 2 cups (from 1.5 apples) but next time I make this I will not put any more than 2 cups of apples.

It took 45 minutes of baking for my bread to be done, but when I cut into it, it was still slightly runny in the middle.

This was the perfect apple bread for me since I don't like other spices that are in some bread recipes (I prefer only cinnamon). I love that this easily comes together with just a whisk and spatula - no mixer needed. I will definitely be making this one again soon!

Cinnamon Swirl Apple Bread

Recipe courtesy “Mom On Timeout” Website

 

Homemade Apple Bread with a lovely cinnamon swirl is the perfect fall breakfast, snack, or dessert! This easy apple bread recipe is moist, sweet and simply loaded with apples and the flavors of fall. Make enough to share with friends and family or keep the whole cozy loaf for yourself! This easy apple bread recipe is a must make this season!

½ cup brown sugar

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 large eggs, room temperature

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

2 cups chopped apples - Pink Lady, Gala, Honeycrisp - any apples that are good for baking, peeled and chopped (about 2 apples)

 

 

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour an 8 x 5 inch loaf pan or line with parchment paper. Set aside.

 

In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

 

Whisk eggs and granulated sugar together in a large mixing bowl.

 

Whisk in melted butter and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.

 

Stir in all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt just until combined. The batter will be very thick. Fold in chopped walnuts (optional) and chopped apples.

 

Add half of the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle about three quarters of the brown sugar mixture on top of the batter.

 

Spread the remaining batter carefully on top of the brown sugar mixture. Sprinkle remaining brown sugar mixture on top and use a knife or spoon to gently swirl it into the top layer.

 

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until lightly golden on top and an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. (If bread is browning too quickly, tent with foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes.)

 

Let bread cool completely before slicing and serving.

Mulled Cranberry Apple Cider

A few weeks ago I was taking a walk with my sister and we started talking about hot apple cider. She said she had a recipe from my cousin Andrew that she liked. I usually don't like hot drinks, but for some reason I really wanted some. We made the apple cider this past weekend, and her four boys loved it. I'm making it again for Thanksgiving since it will go well with the menu. It's very simple to make and leaves the house smelling so good!

Mulled Cranberry Apple Cider

2 quarts apple cider

1½ quarts cranberry or cranberry-apple juice

½ cup light brown sugar, packed

8-10 cinnamon sticks, 3 inch, broken into pieces

10-15 whole allspice

20-25 whole cloves

Bring everything to a boil in a 6-quart pot. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Strain and discard spices.

Yield: 12 cups

Photo by JoJo

Apple Cranberry Pie

It's the beginning of November and I hadn't gotten a chance to make an apple pie until today. I had some Fuji apples from a local orchard, but picked up some Granny Smith and Honey Crisp apples too, as well as some cranberries. I used a Williams-Sonoma flaky pastry dough recipe for my crust. Not only was the crust delicious, but the recipe makes enough for a top and bottom crust and then another bottom crust, so tomorrow I'll be using that for a banana cream pie!

While my pie dough was in the refrigerator, I prepared the apple filling. The apple cranberry pie recipe below was given to me by my friend Bianca last year. This is the second time I've made it, but last time I used a store-bought pie crust. This time, I was using a pie dish that is a little deeper than most pie dishes, so I made a recipe and a half of filling (6 apples, 1.5 cups cranberries, etc.). It ended up being a little much, but still fit into the dish fine.

I used a vegetable peeler to peel the apples. Then I used an apple slicer to core and slice the apples. I cut the slices in half (although I should have cut them in threes, as the apples didn't bake as much as I would have liked). I cut the cranberries in half. I mixed the apple slices and cranberries together with flour, cinnamon and sugar and set aside while I rolled out the pie dough. After putting the top dough on, I sealed the edges and poked holes in the crust. I put it in the oven (with a cookie sheet on the lower rack just in case any juices came out of the pie) and enjoyed the lovely smell of fresh apple pie that filled up the house. After letting it cool a bit, I sliced two pieces to bring to my sister and brother-in-law. I noticed that the apples were a little harder than I wanted. Next time I will slice them a little thinner. In the end the pie still tasted great, especially with some vanilla ice cream! This is an easy and delicious fall dessert recipe, and I'm glad I finally had the chance to make it!

Flaky Pastry Dough

Recipe courtesy Williams-Sonoma

A food processor makes this flaky pastry dough in a snap. The recipe yields enough dough for three pies or galettes.

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

24 Tablespoons (3 sticks) plus 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes

¾ cup ice water

In a food processor, combine the flour and salt and pulse briefly to mix. Scatter the butter over the top and pulse just until the mixture forms coarse crumbs about the size of peas. Drizzle the ice water over the flour mixture and pulse just until the dough starts to come together.

Transfer the dough to a work surface, divide into 3 equal pieces and press each into a flat disk. Wrap disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour before rolling out.

Roll out one disk into a 12-inch round and line the pan or dish. Press any scraps trimmed from the first round into the bottom of the second disk. Roll out the second dough disk into a round at least 12 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick and refrigerate until ready to use.

Makes three 9-inch pies.

Note: Pie dough may be made ahead and frozen for up to 2 months. To freeze, place the dough round on a 12-inch cardboard circle and wrap it well with plastic wrap. Alternatively, use the round to line a pie pan or dish, flute the edge and wrap well.

Apple Cranberry Pie

9-inch pie crust

1 Tablespoon flour

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 large granny smith apples – peeled, cored and sliced

1 cup chopped cranberries

½ cup sugar

Place all ingredients in mixing bowl and toss. Add apple mixture to crust and add top crust. Use a fork to crimp edges of top and bottom crusts together crust and poke holes in top crust.

Bake at 400° for 40 to 50 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.

Flour & salt

Add cold cut up butter

Pulse until it forms a coarse grainy mixture

Add ice water and pulse until dough forms

Form into 3 disks and refrigerate for an hour

Use a mixture of apples for best results - I used Fuji, Honey Crisp and Granny Smith

Add fresh cranberries for a little bit of a tart flavor

Slice cranberries in half

Peel, core, and slice apples

Add cinnamon, flour and sugar to apple/cranberry mixture

Roll out pie dough

Fill pie dough with apple/cranberry mixture

Add top dough, crimp edges, and poke holes in top

Finally, put it in the oven!

Nothing smells better than a fresh apple pie!

Photos by JoJo