King Arthur's Sugar-Crusted Apple Cobbler

This is based on King Arthur's recipe. Some say it's a fine substitute for apple pie, since there is no crust and there are fewer apples to use.

Sugar for the topping is reduced from the original recipe by 1/4 cup. 

Best baking apples: Envy, Fuji, Haralson, Braeburn, Granny Smith. Avoid using apples that turn to mush when baked. 

You can get by with less lemon juice if you stir a few drops in after each apple is diced and added to the bowl. If using Honeycrisp apples, they tend not to brown but can be a bit soft for a dish like this.

Using raw cane sugar or even turbinado might provide a caramel note for the apples, especially for the topping... This is a guess.

You may wish to use a handheld mixer to cream the butter and sugar together and to mix in the flour mixture for a faster result.

We also have a recipe for an apple cake that is yummy.

INGREDIENTS

4 large baking apples, about 650g
2 Tbl lemon juice or boiled cider
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg or a few wisps of fresh grated nutmeg
8 Tbl unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided into 1/2 cup and and 1/4 cup
1/2 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
1 cup (120g) all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 Tbl water


PREPARATION

1. Oven to 350 with a rack in the center; lightly grease an 8" square or 9" round pan. You can use baking spray too.

2. Peel and core the apples, cutting them into chunks or slices about 1/4" thick.

3. Place the cut apples, one bunch at a time, into a medium bowl and drizzle a few drops of lemon juice on them, stirring the apples each time to distribute the juice and prevent/minimize browning.

4. Place the apples in the prepared pan and press them into an even layer. Set aside.

5. In a small bowl, whisk or stir together the flour, baking soda, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

6. In a large bowl, cream 1/2 cup of the sugar and the softened butter (optional: use a handheld mixer), until light and creamy.

7. Stir in about half of the buttermilk or yogurt, followed by about half of the flour mixture until somewhat combined, then stir in the remaining half of the wet ingredients, including the vanilla, followed by the remaining flour mixture until combined. The batter should be smooth and thick but supple.

8. Place large dollops of batter across the top of the apples, spreading it as you go by using a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it as evenly as possible, to the edges of the pan.

9. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar over the batter as evenly as possible. It will provide a fairly thick layer.

10. Using your fingers or a spoon, flick, drizzle, or splash water onto the sugar, letting it soak in-- the goal is to get all the sugar wet but not drenched.

11. Bake for 35-40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the surgace is golden and crispy and a toothpick comes out clean from the center (you will have to pierce the firm sugar topping to test the cobbler).

12. Remove the cobbler from the oven and place it on a rack to cool in the pan for about 20-30 minutes, which allows the sugar topping to firm up. Serve warm or cool, with our without vanilla ice cream.