Cooksister | Food, Travel, Photography

Food, photos & faraway places

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • About me
    • Contact me
    • Work with me
    • Legal
      • Copyright notice & Disclaimer
      • Disclosure
      • Cookies and Privacy Policy
    • Press and media
    • Cooksister FAQs
  • RECIPES
    • Recipe Index – by course
    • Baking (savoury)
    • Braai/Barbecue
    • Breakfast & brunch
    • Christmas
    • Dessert
    • Drinks
    • Eggs
    • Fish
    • Gluten-free
    • Leftovers
    • Meat
    • Pasta & rice
    • Poultry
    • Pulses
    • Salads
    • Soup
    • South African
    • Starters & light meals
    • Vegan
    • Vegetables
    • Vegetarian
  • RESTAURANTS
    • British Isles restaurants
    • Dubai restaurants
    • France restaurants
    • London restaurants
    • Montenegro restaurants
    • New York restaurants
    • Pop-ups and supperclubs
    • Serbia restaurants
    • Singapore restaurants
    • South Africa restaurants
    • Sweden restaurants
    • Switzerland restaurants
    • USA restaurants
  • TRAVEL
    • All my travel posts
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Canada
      • Dubai
      • Cruise ships
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Grenada
      • Hong Kong
      • Hotel reviews
      • Italy
      • Israel
      • Jersey
      • Mexico
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Singapore
      • Ski & snow
      • South Africa
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • UK
      • USA
      • Wales
  • PORTFOLIO
    • Freelance writing portfolio
    • Speaking and teaching
    • Photography portfolio
    • Buy my photos

Easy apple pecan cobbler recipe

by Jeanne Horak on July 22, 2010 13 Comments in Baking (sweet), Dessert, Recipes

ApplePecanCobblerNEW

When I was at school and just starting to learn Rudyard Kipling’s classic poem If, my mom told me a story that tickled me pink and that I think of to this day every time I see Kipling’s name.  It went like this:

He:  “Do you like Kipling, my dear?”

She:  I don’t know, you naughty boy, I’ve never kippled!”

I only discovered years later that this was not an actual coversation, but the text from a saucy postcard produced by one Donald McGill, an English graphic artist who’se name has become synonymous with the particular genre of saucy postcars usually sold in English seaside towns.

Until recently, I could say much the same thing about cobblers.  Did I like them?  How could I tell, as I’d never cobbled!  Oh, of course I’d fooled around with a few crisps and crumbles, but that was just the usual college experimentation 😉  My cobbler cherry was, so to speak, still intact.  So what, I hear you ask, is the difference between these crusty desserts?

  • A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough shell that covers or completely contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients.
  • A tart is a pastry dish, usually sweet, that is a type of pie with an open top that is not covered with pastry.
  • A crisp is a type of dessert, usually consisting of a type of fruit, baked with a crispy topping, hence the name. The topping usually consists of butter, flour, oats, brown sugar and usually spices such as cinnamon and/or nutmeg.
  • A crumble is a dish of British origin containing stewed fruit topped with a crumbly mixture of fat (usually butter), flour, and sugar.
  • A cobbler: In the United States, it is usually a dessert consisting of a fruit filling poured into a large baking dish over a batter that rises through when baking. The batter forms as a dumpling within the cobbler as well as a crust for the top. In the United Kingdom it is usually a savoury meat dish, typically a lamb casserole, which is covered with a savoury scone-like topping—each scone (or biscuit) forming a separable cobbler.

AppleCobbler2

So as if it weren’t enough that the Brits and the Yanks can’t agree on a single measurement system, it seems they also both have a different take on what a cobbler is!  I had always pictured a cobbler as the British version, so I was quite surprised when the batter turned out to be far too sloppy to be described as scone-like.  I thought perhaps my oven was going to give birth to the bastard child of a cobbler and a clafoutis (a clafler?  A cobloutis?).  But in fact, it was an American-style cobbler.  And oh boy, was it delicious! The idea had been to use up the ton of disappointingly mealy Gala apples in the fridge, and it must be said, this is a fabulous way to use up less-than-perfect apples.  The initial sprinkle of sugar over the apples creates a caramelly sauce beneath the amber crust, and the pecan nuts provide texture.  In fact, it is probably better described as the lovechild of my self-saucing apple caramel pudding and a pecan pie ;-).  Guests at the lunch where I served this positively demolished the pudding – even those that don’t usually like dessert – and that’s always the best compliment in my book.

(Recipe from CD Kitchen)

If you like this recipe, you might also want to try my apple caramel self-saucing pudding, apple and blackberry crisp, individual strawberry crisps, or my spiced plum crumble

 

Easy apple pecan cobbler
 
Print
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
60 mins
Total time
1 hour 15 mins
 
This easy cobbler recipe is packed with the flavours of Fall - apples, warming spices, and nuts. Perfect for feeding a crowd.
Author: Jeanne Horak-Druiff
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon (ground)
  • ¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans, divided
  • 4 cups apples, sliced (but not necessary to peel)
  • 1 cup flour, sifted
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • ½ cup evaporated milk
  • ⅓ cup melted butter
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 170C (325F).
  2. Mix the sugar, cinnamon and ½ cup of pecans.
  3. Place the apples on the bottom of a large (about 25 x 15cm) greased baking dish.  Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar & pecan mix over the apples.
  4. Sift the dry ingredients together.  Mix the egg, milk and melted butter and add to the dry ingredients.  Mix until smooth.
  5. Pour the mixture over the apples and sprinkle the top of the dish with the remaining pecans.  Bake for about 55 minutes or until golden brown and set.
  6. Serve hot, with cream or ice-cream.
Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe
3.2.2802

More deliciousness for you!

  • Cape brandy pudding (or tipsy tart) revisitedCape brandy pudding (or tipsy tart) revisited
  • Sweet potato muffinsSweet potato muffins
  • Salted caramel and toasted pecan ice-cream sundaesSalted caramel and toasted pecan ice-cream sundaes
  • Spiced apple, maple and toasted pecan oat porridgeSpiced apple, maple and toasted pecan oat porridge

Never miss a Cooksister post

If you enjoyed this post, enter your e-mail address here to receive a FREE e-mail update when a new post appears on Cooksister

I love comments almost as much as I love cheese - so if you can't leave me any cheese, please leave me a comment instead!

« An evening with Peter Gordon at GBK
Saturday Snapshots #100 »

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Rate this recipe:  

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Tandy says

    July 23, 2010 at 9:08 am

    next time we have an abundance of apples I shall give this a go 🙂

    Reply
  2. 5am Foodie says

    July 23, 2010 at 9:26 am

    Hello! I like how you spell out the differences between pies, tarts, crumbles, crisps, etc. And how you call a crisp a crisp! I grew up with apple and various other fruit “crisps” and even after living in the UK for almost 11 years I can’t think of a crumble as a crisp. I didn’t actually realise there was a real difference – thought it was just different words for the same thing. You’ve set me straight and I will go back to calling my crumbles crisps!

    Reply
  3. Kit says

    July 23, 2010 at 1:28 pm

    My son is a very ‘discerning’ apple eater, rejecting any specimens that have even a hint of a bruise, so I have a fridge drawer full of apples to clear, before I let him loose on the new bag, and I am definitely going to try this.
    Thanks for the crisp/crumble explanation. maybe we should put together a glossary of US/UK cooking terminology to clear up the endless cookie/biscuit/flapjack/crunchie confusion!

    Reply
  4. Sommer @ A Spicy Perspective says

    July 23, 2010 at 2:13 pm

    YUM! I love cobbler, but have never made it with apples–just peaches and berries. This looks marvelous.

    Reply
  5. Marisa says

    July 23, 2010 at 3:24 pm

    Never could figure out the difference between crisp & crumble, they seem to me virtually identical! And like you, my cobbler cherry is still firmly intact. But I think it is time I lost my innocence…

    Reply
  6. nina says

    July 23, 2010 at 3:27 pm

    I see you and Meeta are baking together this weekend…Enjoy girlfriend!! The cobler looks scrummy!!

    Reply
  7. Sunita says

    July 23, 2010 at 5:09 pm

    I’ve never cobbled before to ;-), must give it a try soon.
    Not sure whether you received my mail, so just want to let you know that your surprise parcel arrived yesterday, the kids were over the moon! Thank you so much, that was so thoughtful of you 🙂
    Hugs,
    Sunita

    Reply
  8. Pascale says

    July 23, 2010 at 5:29 pm

    That pecan cobbler looks really delicious. I must try it soon. Also, it was great to see you on Weds evening! Pascale

    Reply
  9. Heather Davis says

    July 23, 2010 at 7:31 pm

    Mmmmm, sugar, cinnamon, apples and pecans…what a great combo! Looks delicious.

    Reply
  10. deeba says

    July 24, 2010 at 12:45 pm

    Cobblers, crisps, pies, tarts YES PLEASE! Have to make a peach cobbler soon. Am itching to, and now you make my resolve even firmer!
    Have a great time in Germany with Meeta … A-Ha A-Ha! HUGS!

    Reply
  11. Johanna GGG says

    August 5, 2010 at 12:07 pm

    now that is very useful to know that cobbler can mean different things – I had though it was more scone like! I often think cobbler is like our sponge pudding in Australia – just to throw another term into the mix!

    Reply
  12. Kathryn says

    August 6, 2010 at 6:42 pm

    That cobbler looks amazing! You should submit the recipe to the Recipe4Living Fall Cobbler Recipe Contest here: http://www.recipe4living.com/articles/the_fall_cobbler_recipe_contest.htm

    Reply
  13. Ann Warburton says

    November 23, 2015 at 1:29 pm

    Love your recipes , SA was home to me for 30 years so really do love to keep baking recipes from my home country

    Reply
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Never miss a Cooksister post!

Get my latest recipes delivered by e-mail!

Search over 500 recipes

Recently on Cooksister

  • Cauliflower steak Welsh rarebit
  • The Melusine
  • Potted smoked salmon with quick pickle apple slaw
  • Discovering the wines of Pays d’Oc
  • Cranberry pistachio Bircher muesli – a Pret-a-Manger fakeaway
  • Roasted Brussels sprouts with chorizo & hazelnuts
  • Myristica Grenadian supperclub
  • 8 favourite Singapore food experiences

Archives by month

Archives by category

Popular posts

Peppermint Crisp fridge tart - a South African treat
Oxtail and red wine potjie
Gem squash 101: how to find them, how to grow them, how to eat them!
How to sautée Brussels sprouts
Roosterkoek - a South African braai essential
Gem squash with a cheesy spicy creamed sweetcorn filling

Featured on

Also available on

"Spring fever, my heart's beating fast. Get up, ge "Spring fever, my heart's beating fast. Get up, get out, Spring is everywhere" - Elvis Presley

What better way to celebrate the day when the clocks go forward to British Summer Time than with  a glorious photo of St Paul's Cathedral shyly peeping out from a cloud of pink cherry blossoms against a perfect blue sky! 🌸🌞

London is awash in glorious blossoms at the moment, from Greenwich Park in the east to Kew Gardens in the west, and the fun part is trying to catch each type of tree just when the blossoms are at their best.

The cherry plums have been exploding into clouds of small white blossoms and sweet fragrance for a few weeks already; and the early flowering cherry trees, camellias and magnolias are coming into their own right now. Plus we still have the late-flowering cherries, rhododendrons and wisteria to look forward to!

Do you have a favourite Spring tree or park for blossoms in London? Let me know in the comments 🌺

And please remember to share, save or like my posts if you want to see more of me in your feed 🙏
"The essence of being human is that one does not s "The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection" 

I wonder what the author if those words would have made of the age of Instagram? We are fed an endless stream of perfect images of perfect bodies and perfect lives. In the back of our minds we KNOW this is not reality, but still the subconscious yearning for this imaginary world of perfection persists. Humans are funny that way.

But so often in life, things fall short of the perfection we imagined - seemingly perfect relationships fail, cakes look nothing like the picture in the book, clothes that looked good on the internet look ridiculous on our bodies, the wrong turn we took meant we never got to our planned destination.

Falling short of perfection is part of life. The big question is how you deal with it. Do you throw your hands up in despair and berate yourself for failure? Or do you find the positives in the imperfect outcomes of your plans? 

This photo taken almost exactly 4 years ago was meant to be a "perfect" Instagram shot of me in my signature pose, on a perfect sunny day on snowy ski slopes. Instead, as @explorista snapped the photo, our ski instructor decided to throw handfuls of snow at me - but as it turns out, this "imperfect" shot turned out to be my favourite of the day 😍

Do you find joy in life's imperfections?
What's your favourite way to eat cauliflower? Up What's your favourite way to eat cauliflower? 

Up until about a week ago I would have said cauliflower cheese... but all that changed when I made this low-carb cauliflower steak Welsh rarebit... I first made cauliflower steaks years ago, before cauliflower started enjoying its 15 minutes of fame, as a main course for vegetarian friends. But it wasn't till last week when I wanted to make Welsh rarebit for St David's day and discovered I had no bread that it struck me that cauli steaks would make the perfect base for Welsh rarebit! It's totally indulgent - like pouring a beery cheese fondue over your cauliflower - and totally addictive. You can find the full recipe in the link in my profile,  or SAVE this post for basic instructions! Remember to tag me if you try it -I'd love to see 😊

* Slice two 1cm steaks vertically from the middle of a large cauliflower, season and fry in  butter and oil till browning slightly.

* Oven bake for 10 mins at 200C while you mix grated cheddar, melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and beer. (The Duvel Belgian ale works a charm, BTW!).

* Spread the cheese mix generously over the 2 steaks and pop under a medium grill until golden and bubbly

You're welcome 🤩
Dyed Gwyl Dewi Hapus - or happy St David's Day if Dyed Gwyl Dewi Hapus - or happy St David's Day if you don't speak Welsh 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

March 1 is the day on which the Welsh people celebrate their patron saint, St David, and one of their traditions is to wear a daffodil, the national flower of Wales. Here are five daffodil facts to impress your Welsh friends:

🌼 There's no difference between a daffodil and a narcissus. Daffodil (or jonquil) is simply the common name for members of the Narcissus genus, so all daffodils are narcissi.

🌼 There is only one species if daffodil that is native to the UK - Narcissus Pseudonarcissus, or wild daffodils. You can spot them by the fact that their outer 6 petals are a paler yellow than the central trumpet, and they are usually smaller than the showy, giant yellow commercially grown daffs. 

🌼 It's not entirely certain how the daffodil came to be the national flower of Wales - one theory is that they are one of the few flowers in bloom on 1 March. Another is that the daffodil is less... antisocial to wear than the other Welsh national symbol, the leek 🤣

🌼 Daffodils are the official 10th wedding anniversary flower.

🌼 Daffodils contain a poisonous sap - keep away from pets and if mixing daffodils in a vase with other flowers, let them stand in water separately for 24 hours first I case they affect the other flowers. 

Are daffodils your favourite Spring flower? Or do you prefer something else?
As a girl who lived more than half her life in the As a girl who lived more than half her life in the African sun, February and March are the hardest months for me to bear in the UK. All the excitement of Christmas and New Year has faded; the credit card bill has arrived; the sun is still setting before I finish work; and the snow that we all hoped for at Christmas finally arrives and disrupts everything. This is why, every year in Feb/March since I moved to the UK (other than the year I broke my femur a week before I was due to fly!), I decamp to South Africa for 2 weeks to visit my family and get my fix of vitamin D (and vitamin Sea!).

This week I should have been here - the Beacon Island hotel in Plettenberg Bay, which I have been visiting since I was about six years old. It is where I go to lift my spirits and clear my head. But for the last 2 years, Covid has meant that I have not been able to go home - or see my family. 

For the most part, although I miss travel, I am secretly quite liking taking a breather and being able to be home without FOMO for a while. But not being able to see my family has been incredibly hard, particularly as I have no family in this country.  And my blood boils at people bending the rules (a dentist appointment in Tenerife when you live in Manchester? Seriously??) to go on holiday while I have not seen my clinically vulnerable brother in two years. Covidiots.

But you can bet your bottom dollar that as soon as vaccinations are widely rolled out and international travel becomes practical again, I will be on a plane to South Africa so fast it will make your head spin.

Where will YOU head to first once we are able to travel again,  and why?
Love is in the air... 💕 Are you making a speci Love is in the air... 💕

Are you making a special dinner for your sweetheart tonight? This potted hot-smoked salmon with a pretty pink apple and red onion pickle is easy to prep and oh-so-delicious! It's also gluten-free if you serve it with GF crackers. Full recipe now on the blog - tap the live link on my bio to view. 

Are you doing anything special to celebrate today? Let me know in the comments! 💖
Ready for a wine tasting? 🍷 [Press trip] Back Ready for a wine tasting? 🍷

[Press trip] Back before Covid put our lives on hold, I spent a few days in the Languedoc-Rousillon wine region of France learning about (and tasting!) Pays d'Oc IGP wines. 

Want to learn more about the region's wines? Read on, swipe through the images (remember to  bookmark this post to refer back to later) - and click the live link in my bio for the full blog post! 

🍷 The Languedoc-Rousillon region is the largest wine producing region in the world, and produces about a third of all French wine. Pays d'Oc IGP is a classification region within Languedoc-Rousillon, with vineyards that take up over half the total vineyard area in the Languedoc-Rousillon region. Pays d'OC IGP wines account for about 20% of the total of all French wine produced.

🍷IGP stands for Indication Geographique Protegée, meaning it is a protected indication of origin and wines must be made only from approved grape varieties that must be grown entirely within the region's geographic boundaries.

🍷 Most French wines are named for their region (Bordeaux, Chablis, Champagne) but you won't see the name of the grape variety on the label. In response to consumer demand and the New World trend to label wines with grape varieties, rules were changed in Pays d'Oc in the late 1980s and Pays d'Oc wines now account for 92% of French varietal wines (e.g. labelled Chardonnay, Syrah, Viognier etc.).

🍷 There are 58 grape varieties that are allowed to be planted in the region but the Pays d'Oc IGP varietal wines to watch out for include Chardonnay, Rolle (another name for Vermentino) and Viognier among the whites; and Syrah, Mourvedre and Pinot Noir among the reds.

🍷 All wines labelled Pays d'Oc IGP are sampled and approved in a blind tasting by a panel of professionals, meaning the label is a guarantee of quality to the consumer. 

🍷 Producers that you should look out for include Gerard Bertrand, Domaine Gayda, Les Jamelles, Les Yeuses, Paul Mas and Domaine Aigues Belles.

First 📸: @everyglassmatters
New year's resolutions: waste of time or the way f New year's resolutions: waste of time or the way forward?

I have mentioned before that I don't really make new year's resolutions. There is always so much pressure to make them BIG lofty goals and this is essentially what dooms them to failure. Instead, for the past few years I have made a list of... affirmations? Mantras? I have yet come up with a word that does not make my toes curl 🤣

These are essentially reminders rather than goals - presets, if you like, for the year ahead. I keep them in a handwritten list next to my computer and when I don't know how to react to something or how to shake a mood, I read them and there is usually an answer in there somewhere. 

Given the bruising year last year was, and how 2021 has so far proven itself to be not much better, I really wanted to add something practical to this year's list to lift my spirits on days when I am down. And for that I borrowed shamelessly from the wonderful @gretchenrubin:

🌈  ACT THE WAY YOU WANT TO FEEL 🌈

And this photo is a reminder of how I want to feel on so, so many levels: hanging out with friends; dancing in the sunshine; wearing my favourite red dress; travelling (this was in Carouge, Switzerland); and surrounded by a rainbow of colour. I can't travel and I can't see friends, but I can dance in my kitchen, singing at the top of my voice wearing my brightest clothes. 

What strategies do you use to lift your spirits? I'd love to hear! 

📸 by @tasteofsavoie
If you, like me, are mssing your Pret-a- Manger Bi If you, like me, are mssing your Pret-a- Manger Bircher muesli during lockdown, you will want to bookmark this post right now! 🔖

I have learnt a few things during lockdown. I have learnt that I am more comfortable spending long periods alone than I had ever imagined; that I suffer a lot more from FOMO (fear of missing out!) than I would like to admit; and that pre-Covid I spent rude sums of money on commuting and barista coffee...! 

I also learnt that although I miss travel and social events and meals out, it is often the smaller things that you miss most acutely - the freedom to call up a friend you haven't seen in a while and inviting them over. Hugging (or even seeing) my family. And grabbing a macchiato and a Pret Bircher muesli on the way to work. Don't ask me why, but it became a small obsession of mine to create a fakeaway Pret Bircher during lockdown - and I think I have succeeded! Here's how:

For 2 servings you will need:
100g rolled oats
200ml milk or water
1 Tbsp sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds 
1 Tbsp shelled pistachio nuts
1 Tbsp dried cranberries 
2 small apples
175g plain yoghurt
Honey
Pomegranate rails

Mix the oats, seeds, nuts and cranberries together then add the milk/water and a pinch of salt. Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight. 

When ready to serve, grate the apples and mix them in with the oats and yoghurt (add a little extra milk to loosen if needed). Stir in honey to taste and serve topped with pomegranate arils and pistachios. Full recipe and more photos are available now on the blog - click the live link in my profile.

Did you try any fakeaway recipes over lockdown? Please let me know in the comments - I would love to hear about it!
Load More... Follow me on Instagram

Follow Jeanne Horak-Druiff's board Recipes by Cooksister on Pinterest.

Cooksister

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

Foodies100 Index of UK Food Blogs

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

Latest Recipes

Cauliflower topped steak with melted cheese
Plate of potted smoked salmon with slaw and a glass of champagne
bowls of pistachio pomegranate bircher muesli
Brussels sprouts with chorizo & hazelnuts
Plum upside down cake
plum flapjack crumble
Sesame ginger Brussels sprouts
Jersey-royals-salmon-salad2 © Jeanne Horak 2019

SITEMAP

Home

Contact

About me

Recipe Index

Restaurant Index

Copyright & Disclaimer

Cookies & privacy policy




blog counter

© 2004 - 2021 · Jeanne Horak unless otherwise stated - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may not reproduce any text, excerpts or images without my prior permission. Site by RTW Labs

Copyright © 2021 · Cooksister on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Cooksister cookie consent
We use cookies to ensure you receive the best experience on our site. If you continue to use this site, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions. Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT