I know this doesn’t LOOK like an apple cobbler. And it doesn’t really taste like what I usually associate with the words “apple cobbler.” What this is, is an apple-pie type filling with a delicious top crust. But it’s not like a regular pie crust. It’s a kind of shortbread or cookie type top. And believe it or not, it’s also really low on sugar. That makes it a winner in my book.
With a bunch of apples in my refrigerator and a dessert I needed to make for dinner guests, I went searching for a recipe that suited me. This was it – a recipe I found at Simply Recipes a few years ago. I read what Elise had to say about this and knew I needed to try it. First you cook the peeled, cored and sliced apples with just a little bit of sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, flour and butter. You don’t cook this long, just enough to take the edge off raw apples. It takes more apples than you might think – I think I used 6 and it could have used more. Elise’s recipe calls for 3 pounds. I didn’t weigh mine, so I really don’t know how many I had – surely it was more than 2 pounds, but it might not have been a full 3 pounds. It filled up the pie plate, but once it baked, the apples kind of slumped. Mostly it’s because I used some Gala apples – not just Granny Smiths that totally hold their shape during baking/cooking.
The crust is a bit different – it has the usual kind of ingredients, but then it has orange zest and a bunch of chopped up crystallized ginger. You can vaguely make out the little bumpy things all over the raw crust, shown at left. That photo was before I baked it, obviously.
This crust also contained a little bit of butter (just 2 tablespoons) and a cup of heavy cream. That’s what provided the necessary fat to give the crust a delicious crunchy texture.
What I really liked about it was the minimal sugar necessary to make this. As I mentioned, Elise’s recipe calls for just Granny Smiths, but I had just 2 of them, and I had a bunch of Galas. Since Galas are sweeter than Granny Smiths, I cut down even more on the sugar. Elise’s recipe called for 1/4 cup in the filling. I used 2 T. of Splenda instead, so halved it. You’ll need to decide, based on what kind of apples you use, as to how much sugar to add. In the crust, it calls for 1/4 cup also – I used a scant measure of real sugar (not Splenda) as I think real sugar is more necessary in pastry. I could have put in half sugar and half Splenda, though, and it probably would have been just fine.
There’s a photo of the cut. It sure looks like apple pie, doesn’t it. Nope! One little tip I should add to the instructions – I used a pizza peel to slide the crust onto the top of the pie. The crust was fragile. It was thick and weighty, actually, but it was a bit on the dry side, so I knew if I tried to pick it up or roll it onto the rolling pin it would fall apart completely. The pizza peel worked perfectly and I was able to slide it gently into place over the apple filling. (I’ll also tell you that the crust was delicious raw – our son-in-law’s mother Ann was visiting and she and I polished off the scraps in short order!)
What I liked: everything about it – the taste, the texture, the apples, the ginger in it, the fact that there was a lot less sugar than usual. Loved the crust. We served it with whipped cream on top. Loverly, it ‘twas.
What I didn’t like: absolutely nothing. Definitely a make again recipe. Thank you, Elise!
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Apple Cobbler with a Cookie Crust
Recipe By: From Elise at Simply Recipes; she got it from Gourmet Mag.
Serving Size: 8
NOTE: You can use other apple types. Granny Smiths hold their shape well, though. Others will begin to fall apart when cooked. Or use a mixture of both, as I did. If you use sweeter apples, reduce the sugar in the filling.
FILLING:
1/4 cup sugar (I used Splenda)
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 ounces unsalted butter
3 pounds tart apples — (such as granny smith) peeled, cored, and sliced
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
CRUST:
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter — chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup crystallized ginger — coarsely chopped
Zest of one orange
1 cup heavy cream
1. FILLING: In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar and flour. Cover partially and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Transfer to buttered 10″ pie dish. (This recipe has the crust only on the top).
2. CRUST: Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles crumbs. Stir in ginger. Stir orange zest into cream; then, using a fork, stir cream into flour until it holds together. Gather dough into a ball; knead briefly then roll out to a little larger than pie dish. Transfer to dish; trim off excess. Score the center so the steam can escape while baking. Brush with cream.
3. Bake 10 minutes in a 450º oven. Reduce heat to 375º and bake 20-25 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream.
Per Serving: 439 Calories; 20g Fat (40.5% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 62g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 64mg Cholesterol; 208mg Sodium.
Coco
said on June 13th, 2012:
I can almost smell the cinnamon!
There’s nothing quite like something pastry and cinnamon fresh out of the oven! . . . carolyn t