Michelle Obama’s Apple Cobbler

The fall season may be winding down, but before you swap out your Halloween pumpkins for Thanksgiving cornucopias, consider paying tribute to the last of the local apple crop with sweet dish fit for the Oval Office – the Obama Apple Cobbler. I have to confess, my knowledge on the subject of what distinguishes the many varieties of fruit desserts (see Funny Names for Old Fashioned Fruit Desserts) has me thinking that this apple dessert is more a pie than a cobbler, but still by no means your average apple pie. The dish, which comes from First Lady Michelle Obama, starts with eight Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced into wedges. (To save time, follow our instructions on the fastest way to peel and apple.)  The slices are then tossed with cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar and allowed to sit for a few hours to really soak in the flavor of the spices.  Then three rolls of refrigerated pie crust are rolled thin and layered underneath and on top of the apples for a super flaky crust.  Feel free to make your own pie dough, but I stuck with the First Lady’s quick-method. The dish’s long baking time makes for some seriously flaky layers, which Michelle says is “just how Barack likes it.”  The consistency of the slow-cooked apples is soft enough that some of my tasters asked if I had added applesauce, but the bright, tart flavor of the Granny Smith’s still lends plenty of flavor. Serve your slice with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream, then dig in like a true Commander-in-Chief. This recipe was submitted by the Obamas as part of the Yankee Magazine Cookie Primary from 2007, where it ultimately lost to Bill Richardson’s Biscochitos, proving that top cookie doesn’t always mean top dog.  Michelle Obama’s Apple Cobbler Adapted from YankeeMagazine.com Ingredients 3 sheets rerigerated pie crust 8 Tbsps. (1 stick) unsalted butter 8 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced into wedges 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 1 1/2 tsps. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 cup all-purpose flour Directions

• Combine the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and flour in a large bowl.  Toss to combine, then let the mixture sit in the fridge for a few hours so the spices soak into the apples.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Butter and flour the bottom of a deep pie dish.  Roll out the three pie crusts as thin as possible, then layer the bottom of the dish with 1 1/2 of the crusts.  Prick a few holes in the crust with a fork, then pour in the apple slices – liquid and all.
• Dot 3/4 of the stick of butter around the apples, then cover with the remaining 1 1/2 pie crusts to cover the apples entirely.  Flute the edges of the dough however you choose.
• Melt the final 1/4 stick of butter and brush over the top of the crust.  Cut or slash a few holes in the top crust to allow the steam to escape while the dish is baking.
• Reduce the oven temp to 300 degrees, then bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours – checking to make sure the crust isn’t burning.
• Serve warm.

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