Aspiring Elephant

What is a Cobbler?

Cobblers are desserts consisting of a fruit base layer topped with a biscuit like batter then baked and served. They can be prepared with many different types of fruit or even more savory options. Popular toppings include powdered sugar, ice cream, whipped cream, etc. The cobblers I make have proven to be very popular amongst friends and family, and are somewhat of a hybrid between crumbles and cobblers. They contain all of the ingredients for cobblers but more closely resemble the consistency of crumbles. I find that this to be the perfect balance to these amazing treats. Here’s how I make one of the best (mini) apple cobblers. Can’t get enough apple? Check out my recipe for an Apple Galette or Granny Smith Apple Donuts!

What is the difference between a cobbler, crumble, and a crisp?

Well, I am sure there will be some that disagree with me on these points, but the main difference between cobblers vs. crisps and crumbles is that cobblers usually contain egg and baking powder – allowing them to somewhat rise. Cobblers, at least the variation that I make, contain flour, eggs, sugar, whole milk, butter, baking powder, and salt. The main difference between crisps and crumbles is that crisps typically contain oats, hence the name “crisp”, since the the oats tend to crisp up when baking. However, for my cobblers, instead of a solid scone-like layer on top of fruit, I like to cut the cold butter in by hand creating a more crumble-like texture. In my opinion, there really isn’t much of a difference between crisps and crumbles, besides the addition of oats. Either way, they are all rather similar, and all rather delicious in their own way.

Ingredients

For the fruit filling

• Apples
• lemon juice and zest
• sugar
• brown sugar
• flour
• cinnamon
• salt
• vanilla paste

For the cobbler

• flour
• sugar
• salt
• baking powder
• milk
• eggs
• butter

How to Make a Mini Apple Cobbler

To start off we will peel the skin off of four apples. There are so many different types of apples, but I chose to use Granny Smith Green Apples for this recipe. In my opinion, they are the best of all worlds, they are sweet and acidic, the perfect balance for a scone-like crumble topping. General rule of thumb – I like to use one apple per person I am serving.

Next, we will want to cut the apples into thin slices. A sharp, chef’s knife is the best option here. Remember, a sharp knife is a safe knife. I use the Shun Hikari 8” Chef’s Knife that I purchased from Williams’s Sonoma. It’s one of the best knives I have ever used and no I am not getting paid to promote them – I wish I were!

The apples should be about 1/4 – 1/8 of an inch in thickness as seen in the picture below but feel free to leave them a little bit larger, totally up to you.

Once you have all of your apples slices ready, go ahead and place them in a pan. Squeeze in the juice of one lemon (1-2 tbsp) and follow that up with some lemon zest. Turn the heat to low and begin to cook until soft. After a minute or two of cooking, add 1/2 tsp of vanilla paste, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 2-3 tbsp all purpose flour, and 1/4 tsp salt. Lightly mix to coat all of the apples.

As it cooks, you will notice the juices flowing out from the apples. This will mix with the flour and the rest of the ingredients to create a semi-thick sauce. The total cook time for the apples is optional. Some folks like to really cook them down so they are super soft, others will prepare them without cooking apples at all. I prefer to be somewhere in between. I’ll usually cook the apples for about 10-12 minutes so they are semi-soft. After the apples are ready, set them aside while we prepare the cobbler topping.

How to Make the Cobbler Topping

In a large bowl combine 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp baking soda then mix to combine. In a separate, smaller bowl, combine one egg with 1/4 cup whole milk then whisk until combined. Add the milk and egg mixture to the dry ingredients, then using a cheese grater, grate in 1/2 cup of cold butter. Using a spatula, or even your hands, work the butter into the mixture, creating small pea to grape size dough balls. It is going to look like a shaggy mixture and that’s ok. I like to have all different sizes of dough, as it tends to look more aesthetically pleasing.

All that’s left to do is add the filling to our cocottes or ramekins and bake! Go ahead and preheat your oven to 375°F then begin filling the cocotte with apples about halfway up. As I mentioned, you have a couple options when it comes to cooking vessels. I like to use Le Creuset’s 8 oz cocottes. These little things are great and so useful when entertaining. I use them to make creme brûlée, molten lava cakes, among many other things. Once the apple filling is in, add the cobbler topping. I like to fill these close to the top. These cobblers are plenty sweet, but I sometimes like to top with a little turbinado sugar for extra sweetness and crisp.

Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes but keep an eye on them. Overcooking these mini apple cobblers will result in a tougher texture. Take them out once the tops turn a light golden brown and if you feel they need a little more time, place them back in the oven in short increments to ensure they don’t burn. And here is the finished product!

What should I add on top of my Apple Cobbler?

There are many topping options for these – all of which are great. Personally, I prefer some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, but powdered sugar or even a low fat yogurt also works really well.