I know, I know. I’ve been lax in writing. The simple truth is that I haven’t had much interesting to say of late and life otherwise has consumed any spare time I would have had in which to communicate such tidbits. I’m still here. It’s still winter and blizzard-ing. And garden thoughts are at least six weeks away here in the outer reaches of Canada. In the meantime, here’s an apple & cranberry cobbler from last night to keep any of you still watching warm and snug until Spring arrives.
Apple & Cranberry Cobber with Crumble Topping
1600g (roughly 3.5# or 8-10 medium) peeled and sliced apples, a mix of varieties preferred
200 g fresh whole cranberries
150g granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
juice of one lemon
juice & zest of one orange
1/2 teaspoon finely ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Fully preheat your oven to 180C (350F). Combine all in a baking tray roughly 14 x 9 inches, heavy weight pans preferred, mixing well to coat all. Cover evenly with crumble topping (below) and bake for one hour or until the topping is lightly browned. Allow to cool for at least thirty minutes before serving. No, really, it’s blazing hot inside and actually better ‘warm’ than hot. Top with ice cream, whipped cream, or snow cream depending on your preference and locale.
Crumble Topping
185 g (roughly 1.5 cups) all-purpose or pastry flour
75 g rolled oats, any variety
175 g granulated sugar
150 g brown sugar
225 g butter, very cold, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons milk, cream, or buttermilk
In the bowl of an upright mixer fitted with a paddle whisk, combine all but the milk or cream. Whisk on low speed just until the butter melts slightly and begins to break up into pea-sized pieces, usually a miunte or two depending on the temperature of the butter. Add the milk and whisk further until a crumble texture with only slight cohesion is achieved, typically just a few seconds longer. Avoid overworking or compressing the mixture. Use as directed above.
