Apple Cobbler with a Chewy Cookie Topping

I can think of few things more delicious than Homemade Apple Cobbler, freshly baked and still warm, served all by itself or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

But, it's possibly even better the next day, eaten straight out of the pan for breakfast, preferably in your bathrobe, a hot mug of coffee close at hand.

This Apple Cobbler is similar to my all-time favorite Berry Cobbler and Peach Cobbler with a few modifications. Mainly, of course, there are apples instead of peaches or berries.

But all three recipes include a chewy sugar cookie topping that is pure heaven. Seriously. I can't get enough of the stuff.

What’s the Difference Between Apple Cobbler and Apple Crisp?

Cobblers are called cobbler because of the topping. Unlike pie crust, where the dough is rolled out into a flaky pastry, cobbler topping is messily dropped or spooned over the fruit filling so that it resembles a cobbled road.

A fruit crisp also has a topping that is sprinkled over the filling. The difference is that a crisp topping is, well, crispy. Unlike the soft texture of a cobbler, the topping for a fruit crisp should have some crunch and often also includes things like chopped nuts or oatmeal to give it texture.

There are basically two kinds of cobbler in the world:

1. The kind with a biscuit topping
2. The kind with a cookie-like topping

This apple cobbler is the cookie covered variety. It's super saucy, but not overly sweet. And, the topping is this wonderful combination of textures - slightly crisp and crumbly on top, and deliciously soft and chewy in the middle.

It's the kind of thing that you scoop into a bowl and eat with a spoon on those days when you just KNOW that saucy apples covered in butter and brown sugar is the kind of self care you need RIGHT NOW.

Ingredients Needed to Prepare this Recipe

• Sweet apples. Pretty much any kind of apples will work in this cobbler, but I prefer sweeter varieties such as honeycrisp, ambrosia, jazz, sweet tango, or pink lady.
• Lemon juice. A bit of lemon juice will keep the apples from browning as you slice them and adds a nice amount or extra acidity to the cobbler filling to balance out the sweetness.
• Brown sugar. Using brown sugar adds an incredible toffee-like flavor to both the apple cobbler filling and the gooey cookie topping. Use either dark or light brown sugar.
• Granulated sugar. A combination of white and brown sugar in the cobbler topping creates the perfect chewy, tender, cookie-like texture.
• Vanilla and almond extract. I love the flavor of using both vanilla and almond extract in this cobbler, but you can use only one or the other if you prefer.
• Salt. Salt balances and intensifies all the other flavors in this cobbler.
• Cornstarch. A bit of cornstarch thickens the apple filling into a scoopable, saucy consistency.
• Ground cinnamon and cloves. The perfect compliment to apples and brown sugar.
• All-purpose flour. Preferably unbleached.
• Baking powder.
• Butter! This is an all-butter cobbler topping. I usually use salted butter, but use unsalted if you want more control over the amount of salt in your cobbler topping.

3 Easy Steps to Prepare this Recipe

Step # 1. Toss some apple slices with lemon juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Dump the whole mess into a pan and bake for 15 minutes while you make the topping.

Step # 2. Dump all the topping ingredients into a bowl and mix. Pull the cobbler from the oven, and use your fingers to drop the topping all over the fruit. 

Step # 3. Bake until the topping is golden brown and the sauce from the apples is thick and bubbly.

Also, your house is going to smell soooooo good right now.

How to Bake Cobbler in a Cast Iron Skillet

Cast iron pans are wonderful for saucy desserts that need to be baked at a relatively low temperature because cast iron is an excellent conductor of heat. This helps ensure that your cobbler will bake evenly regardless of whether or not you have any hot spots in your oven (which you most certainly do).

The main thing to know about baking cobbler in a cast iron pan is that it's super important to make sure the pan is well seasoned.

In new, unseasoned cast iron pans, the acid in the lemon juice and apples can set off a reaction that causes the cobbler to take on a slight metallic flavor. Not exactly what we're going for here.

If you've been using your cast iron pan for a while and are pretty good at taking care of it, it will work beautifully for this recipe.

How to season a cast iron pan:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Scrub the skillet in warm, soapy water and dry it with a cloth.
3. Pour a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil into the skillet and spread it around, or rub the inside of the pan with vegetable shortening to coat. Do the same thing on the outside of the pan so that the entire pan is coated in a thin layer of oil or shortening.
4. Place the skillet upside down in the center of your oven, directly on the oven rack. Place a sheet of aluminum foil below the rack to catch any drips. Let the pan bake for an hour, then turn off the heat and let the pan sit in there until completely cool.

Other Good Pans to Use

You can also bake this cobbler in a square or rectangle glass or ceramic baking dish. If using a 9x12 or 9x13 rectangle baking dish, you can follow the recipe exactly as written with no modifications.

If using an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish, reduce the amount of apples to 2 ½ pounds and the cornstarch to 1 tbsp. Keep all the other ingredients the same.

The only kind of pan to avoid is one that's made with aluminum.

Aluminum will react with the acid in the apple filling and give the whole cobbler a metallic taste that is not at all pleasant.

What Apples are Best for Cobbler?

I prefer using sweet apples in this cobbler recipe such as Honeycrisp, Ambrosia, Jazz, Sweet Tango, or Pink Lady.

There are two main reasons why I like to use sweet apples to make cobbler:

1. The fruit filling calls for a decent amount of lemon juice. When combined with cornstarch and sugar, the lemon juice creates a thick syrup that makes the baked apple filing saucy and delicious. 
2. Sweet apples balance the tart flavor of the lemon juice. Using sweet apples means you don't need to use a lot of sugar to achieve the perfect balance of tart and sweet.

I like to save tart and sour apples like Granny Smith and Macintosh for things like Caramel Apple Pie. In that recipe, which includes a sweet crumb topping and plenty of caramel sauce, tart apples keep the pie from becoming cloying.

Tart apples also hold their shape even after a long bake time. This is a plus when cutting and serving slices of pie. But, cobbler is meant to be scooped out in messy spoonfuls. If the apples get soft while baking, it only contributes to the comforting saucy deliciousness.

Do You Have to Peel the Apples?

I prefer to peel the apples for this cobbler because the skins don't break down while baking and their tough texture interferes with the saucy texture of the filling.

But, peeling the apples is not a hard and fast rule. It's simply a matter of personal preference. If you'd rather leave the skins on, go for it.

I do recommend chopping the apples into smaller pieces if you decide to leave the skins on. Slice the apples as directed, then cut the slices into three pieces. This will ensure you don't have any long apple skins swimming around in all that saucy goodness.

All you need to prepare the apples is a sharp knife: Cut the apples into quarters then cut out the core and slice off the peel.

But, if you really want to make quick work of the task, use an apple corer and peeler, like this one from CucinaPro.

Advanced Preparation and Storage Tips

If you want to prepare this apple cobbler ahead of time, you have a few options:

• Follow the recipe to make the apple filling, allowing it to bake for 15 minutes. Let it cool to room temperature. Prepare the topping and, when the filling is cool, sprinkle the topping over the fruit. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
• Prepare the apple filling, but don't bake it. Instead, put it into an air-tight container and put it in the refrigerator. Prepare the topping, put it into a separate container and pop it in the refrigerator. The filling and topping will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, follow the recipe to bake the filling for 15 minutes before adding the topping.
• Bake the apple cobbler as directed. Allow it to cool at room temperature then cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Serve cold, or reheat in a 350 degree oven.

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