Martha Stewart Brown-Butter Apple Cobbler

Martha Stewart Brown-Butter Apple Cobbler takes 2 hours and tart Granny Smith apples, nutty brown butter and vanilla bean to make a golden, biscuit-topped fall dessert. Save this easy apple dessert for Thanksgiving, Sunday dinner or a cozy potluck, because it's a make-ahead-friendly bake for a crowd.

Bake the apple filling for 10 minutes under a tight cover before the biscuit dough goes on. Skip that head start and the apples stay firm and the juices never thicken, so the topping sits on a watery base.

Martha browns only half a stick of the butter and stirs it into the apples, which gives the filling a nutty depth that plain melted butter can't. She also scrapes a whole vanilla bean into the sugar mixture. A lined baking sheet on the bottom rack catches any bubbling juices.

Martha Stewart Brown-Butter Apple Cobbler

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Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

35

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

5

minutes

Calories

480

kcal

Tart apples soften under a cream-rich biscuit topping that bakes up craggy and golden, with a crackly sugar crust on top. Spooned warm into bowls, it gives you tender fruit, juicy edges and a buttery bite in every scoop.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (¾ cup), ½ stick cut into large pieces, remaining 1 stick cold and cut into small pieces
  

• 3 pounds Granny Smith apples (6 to 7), peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
  

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  

• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
  

• Coarse salt
  

• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
  

• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
  

• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
  

• 2 teaspoons baking powder
  

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more for brushing
  

• Sanding sugar, for sprinkling
  

Directions

• Brown the butter: Preheat the oven to 375°F, then melt 1/2 stick of butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Swirl it now and then for about 8 minutes until golden brown and fragrant, then let it cool.
• Mix the filling: Toss 3 pounds of peeled, cored Granny Smith apples with 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar and the seeds from 1 vanilla bean. Break up any clumps with a fork.
• Combine apples and butter: Pour the cooled brown butter over the apples, then stir in the flour mixture. Everything should be evenly coated with no dry pockets of flour.
• Bake the filling: Transfer the apples to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and cover tightly with parchment-lined foil. Set a parchment-lined baking sheet on the bottom rack, bake the dish on the middle rack for 10 minutes, then remove and discard the foil.
• Make the biscuit dough: Whisk 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Cut in the remaining 1 stick of cold butter with a pastry blender until the clumps are no bigger than small peas. Then stir in 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream until a soft, sticky dough forms.
• Top the apples: Drop spoonfuls of the dough evenly over the hot filling, aiming for about nine biscuits. Then brush the dough with cream and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
• Bake until golden: Return the cobbler to the middle rack, still over the baking sheet, and bake 55 to 65 minutes. It's done when the topping is golden brown and the juices bubble around the edges.
• Cool and serve: Let the cobbler cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes so the juices can thicken. Then scoop it warm into bowls and add vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Tools for this recipe

• Pyrex 9x13 glass baking dish, Spring Chef dough blender (pastry cutter), Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 3-quart saucepan, Madagascar vanilla beans, grade A, 10 pods. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use a different apple than Granny Smith?

Yes, McIntosh or Pink Lady are good tart swaps, and Cortland or Honeycrisp work if you want a sweeter cobbler. Pick a variety that holds its shape in the oven so the filling stays soft without turning to mush.

What can I use if I don't have a vanilla bean?

Mix 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste into the apples at the same moment the brown butter goes in. You lose a little of the floral depth from the scraped pod, but the filling still tastes rich and warm.

How do I store and reheat leftover cobbler?

Cover the baking dish and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. To reheat, cover it loosely with foil and bake at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes until the filling is warm all the way through.

Can I add spices to the filling?

Yes, stir 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg into the sugar mixture before it goes on the apples. It keeps the filling lightly spiced, so the brown butter and vanilla still come through.

Why do I bake the apples before adding the biscuit topping?

The 10-minute head start softens the apples and starts the juices thickening. Without it, the apples would still be firm when the topping turns golden, and the biscuits could end up doughy on the bottom.