Apple Cobbler

Before I say anything else tonight, let me first note that I'm just back from an incredible 48 hours at the first National Conference to End Factory Farming, organized by the tireless folks at Farm Sanctuary, and attended by the who's who of the animal rights world.  It was an incredible two days, jam packed with speakers, panels, videos, exhibits, and amazing people who are dedicated to making this world a better place.

Vegans, vegetarians, and meat-eaters alike - get behind this movement.  Absolutely nobody wins in the factory farm system - not the exploited workers, not the environment, not human health, and - most especially - not the billions of animals who live their lives in misery.  Let's build a coalition and make this abominable practice part of the annals of history.

For more on the conference, check out the website: factoryfarmingconference.org

Hopping off my soap box, I'm home and craving comfort food after such an emotional couple days. This warm, easy apple dessert fit the bill.  You may recall my Blueberry Cobbler recipe from back in the summer, which featured "cobbled street" dumplings for the topping.  The cobbled-street appearance is very typical of a New England-style cobbler, whereas this version, featuring a rolled-out rectangle of pie dough on top, is more common in the South. 

Ingredients:

• 8 cups peeled and sliced Granny Smith apple
• 1/3 cup apple cider
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup packed vegan brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter
• 1 (8-ounce) pie dough*
• 1 Ener-G egg
• 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

1. Place the apples in an 11x7-inch baking dish, and drizzle the cider over the apples; set aside.

2. Lightly spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife.  Combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl.  Cut the butter into small pieces, and cut into the flour mixture with a pastry blender, until the mixture is like coarse meal.  Sprinkle the flour mixture over the apples.

3. Roll the dough into a 12x8-inch rectangle.  Place the dough over the apples; transfer it from your work surface to the baking dish easily by rolling up over a rolling pin for easy transportation.  Fold the edges of the dough under and cut 3 slits in the top so steam can escape while the cobbler bakes.

4. Brush the Ener-G egg over the dough, and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.

(Note: although you can substitute granulated sugar in a pinch, turbinado adds a pleasing crunch to each bite, so I recommend buying a bag.  As a bonus, because turbinado is never filtered like granulated sugar, there's no need to worry about bone char).

5. Bake the cobbler at 350 degrees for 40 minutes; the crust should be golden brown on top.

*You have two choices on the dough: Buy a frozen variety (such as Wholly Wholesome or Whole Foods) and thaw completely so you can roll the dough into the rectangle required for this recipe.  Or, make your own dough at home.  I chose the latter, since it's easier to roll out homemade dough than the pre-made kind.  It will only take about 10 minutes extra if you follow this easy recipe here.  

Nutrition Info:
8 servings (1 portion), Calories 275 

Tasting Notes:
My favorite part of this dessert was the turbinado sugar on top, a delicious, sugary crunch.  Although the filling was homey and sweet, I was disappointed that the apples cooked down to more like applesauce.  I recommend cutting thick slices of Granny Smith, therefore, so that your cobbler filling holds on to some shape.  I also would liberally increase the amount of cinnamon, and perhaps add a touch of nutmeg and allspice.  Finally, I found this to be tastier chilled than warm, so go ahead and make it ahead of time if you plan to serve to guests.

Rating:
3