Make-Ahead Apple Cobbler
By America's Test KitchenPublished on September 15, 2011
Time
2½ hours, plus 20 minutes cooling and up to 1 month in the freezer
Yield
Serves 12
Ingredients
TOPPING
1 ½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled, plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted6 tablespoons (2⅔ ounces/75 grams) granulated sugar 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon baking soda ¾ cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon ground cinnamonFILLING
½ cup packed (3½ ounces/99 grams) light brown sugar ¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) granulated sugar ¼ cup (1 ounce/28 grams) cornstarch ¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt 2 ½ pounds (1134 grams) Golden Delicious apples (6 to 8), peeled, cored, halved, and sliced thin2 ½ pounds (1134 grams) Granny Smith apples (6 to 8), peeled, cored, halved, and sliced thin2 cups dried apples, choppedBefore You Begin
Don’t form the biscuits until the apples are bubbling in the oven; biscuit dough mixed before its time and left at room temperature won’t rise properly.
Instructions
- MAKE TOPPING MIX Pulse flour, chilled butter, 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Place in zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 1 month.
- PREPARE APPLES Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt in large bowl. Add apples and dried apples and toss to combine. Transfer to 13 by 9-inch baking dish, pressing down on apples. Tightly cover dish with plastic wrap, then foil. Freeze for up to 1 month.
- BAKE APPLES Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove and discard plastic from baking dish. Re-cover with foil and bake until juices are bubbling, about 1 hour.
- BAKE BISCUITS When apple juices are bubbling, put topping mixture in large bowl and stir in buttermilk until combined. Combine 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Remove apples from oven and stir thoroughly. Using greased ¼-cup measure, dollop 12 portions of dough onto hot apple mixture. Brush dough with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake until apples are tender and topping is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes. Serve warm.
Time
2½ hours, plus 20 minutes cooling and up to 1 month in the freezerYield
Serves 12Ingredients
TOPPING
1 ½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled, plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
6 tablespoons (2⅔ ounces/75 grams) granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
FILLING
½ cup packed (3½ ounces/99 grams) light brown sugar
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) granulated sugar
¼ cup (1 ounce/28 grams) cornstarch
¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
2 ½ pounds (1134 grams) Golden Delicious apples (6 to 8), peeled, cored, halved, and sliced thin
2 ½ pounds (1134 grams) Granny Smith apples (6 to 8), peeled, cored, halved, and sliced thin
2 cups dried apples, chopped
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
TOPPING
1 ½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled, plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
6 tablespoons (2⅔ ounces/75 grams) granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
FILLING
½ cup packed (3½ ounces/99 grams) light brown sugar
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) granulated sugar
¼ cup (1 ounce/28 grams) cornstarch
¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
2 ½ pounds (1134 grams) Golden Delicious apples (6 to 8), peeled, cored, halved, and sliced thin
2 ½ pounds (1134 grams) Granny Smith apples (6 to 8), peeled, cored, halved, and sliced thin
2 cups dried apples, chopped
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
TOPPING
1 ½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled, plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
6 tablespoons (2⅔ ounces/75 grams) granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
FILLING
½ cup packed (3½ ounces/99 grams) light brown sugar
¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) granulated sugar
¼ cup (1 ounce/28 grams) cornstarch
¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
2 ½ pounds (1134 grams) Golden Delicious apples (6 to 8), peeled, cored, halved, and sliced thin
2 ½ pounds (1134 grams) Granny Smith apples (6 to 8), peeled, cored, halved, and sliced thin
2 cups dried apples, chopped
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We started with fresh apples to build our Make-Ahead Apple Cobbler, but the cell walls broke down in the freezer, causing juices to leak. Precooking helped, but resulted in apple mush. The solution: dried apples, to soak up the excess juice. The freezer also dulled the cobbler’s flavor, but we resurrected it with an extra dose of cinnamon and brown sugar. Premixing and freezing the dry ingredients for our biscuits allowed us to add buttermilk and bake the topping after the apples were already bubbling. This kept the biscuits from becoming gummy.
Before You Begin
Don’t form the biscuits until the apples are bubbling in the oven; biscuit dough mixed before its time and left at room temperature won’t rise properly.
Instructions
- MAKE TOPPING MIX Pulse flour, chilled butter, 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Place in zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 1 month.
- PREPARE APPLES Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt in large bowl. Add apples and dried apples and toss to combine. Transfer to 13 by 9-inch baking dish, pressing down on apples. Tightly cover dish with plastic wrap, then foil. Freeze for up to 1 month.
- BAKE APPLES Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove and discard plastic from baking dish. Re-cover with foil and bake until juices are bubbling, about 1 hour.
- BAKE BISCUITS When apple juices are bubbling, put topping mixture in large bowl and stir in buttermilk until combined. Combine 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Remove apples from oven and stir thoroughly. Using greased ¼-cup measure, dollop 12 portions of dough onto hot apple mixture. Brush dough with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake until apples are tender and topping is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes. Serve warm.
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