Apple Cobbler
Apples are at their best at this time of year. There are a number of varieties that you can use for this recipe. My favorite cooking apples are Granny Smith, Braeburn, and Cox Orange and JR's Orchard apples are among the best. These varieties all have a good amount of acidity which is so important. The ‘cobbler’ topping is sort of a cross between a scone and a sponge, with the sprinkling of sugar and cinnamon on top giving a wonderful crisp sweet finish. Serve with a scoop of ‘vanilla’ or lashings of fresh runny cream!
(Serves 6)
Ingredients
Step 1: cobbler dough
- 2 cups flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 Tbl baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 75gm butter (small cubes)
- 1 cup cream
Step 2
- 2 kg Cox’s Orange Pippin Apples (peeled, quartered and seeded)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 Tbl flour
- 1 vanilla bean (split, beans scraped out)
- cobbler dough
- 1 Tbl sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- cream
Method
Step 1: cobbler dough
For the cobbler top, sift the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, salt and butter to the bowl. Combine the butter with the flour until the mix resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Using a light touch, stir in the cream to make a soft dough. Set aside to rest.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 200°C degrees.
Cut the apple quarters into 3 slices each. Take a large mixing bowl and toss together the apples, sugar, flour and vanilla seeds until well combined. Place the apple mix in a suitable sized ovenproof baking dish.
Tear golf ball sized chunks of cobbler dough and place them on top of the apple mix, pressing them down slightly. Leave some space between each ball.
Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small mixing bowl. Sprinkle the spiced sugar over the dough balls.
Place cobbler in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until the apples are tender and top is golden and crispy.
Serve pronto.
John Hawkesby’s wine recommendation
Riesling
Two Rivers Juliet 2009
Pinot Gris
Matawhero 2009