Recipe: Apple Cobbler with Pecans

NEW ORLEANS — Over the course of its 300-year history, New Orleans’ cuisine has been one of its greatest gifts to the world. Now, as we celebrate the city’s 300th birthday and WWL-TV’s 60th anniversary, our gift to you is a free e-cookbook, with free summertime recipes.

Click here to download the free "Summer Favorites" cookbook as well as the previous editions with Recipes for Cajun cooking, Lent, Global Cuisine and Holiday Recipes.

This edition of our "360 In the Kitchen" cookbook series focuses on dishes that are perfect for the long, hot south Louisiana summer. Coping with the heat and humidity of a New Orleans summer has been a way of life here from the beginning. From salads and dishes with lighter sauces to icy cool desserts, our cookbook gives you some creative recipe ideas to try without sacrificing any of the flavor that New Orleans cooks are known for.

Apple Cobbler with Pecans

Ingredients:

Apple Filling

• 9-11 apples, peeled, cored and sliced (see note)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. lemon or lime juice
• 2 tsp. corn starch
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 /2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 cup pecans, chopped

Caramel Sauce

• 3/4 cups butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

Topping

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 sticks butter, cut into small pieces
• 2/3 cup boiling water

Additional topping

• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Add sliced apples to large mixing bowl.
3. Sprinkle brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, corn starch, lemon, or lime juice and nutmeg over apples.
4. Stir until apples are coated then add pecans.

Caramel Sauce:

1. In a small heavy bottom pan, melt butter over low heat.
2. Stir in brown sugar and milk.
3. Bring to a boil over low heat and continue stirring constantly for 12 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and add 1 tsp of vanilla. Stir.
5. Let caramel cool for 10 minutes. Pour over apple mixture and stir (save a small amount to drizzle over the top. You will have to heat it up again so that the sauce is easy to pour).
6. Pour into an ungreased 13 x 9 baking dish.

Topping:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and salt together.
2. Using a pastry blender, mix butter into flour mixture until crumbly.
3. Pour in boiling water and stir until combined.
4. Spoon mixture over apples and spread making sure to cover all the apples.
5. In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle on top.
6. Bake for approximately 35 minutes, or until topping is golden brown.

Chef Kevin's Notes:

• Apples: use a blend of apples that you like. If you like tart apples, use more Granny Smith apples. We like the taste and texture of Gala, Fuji and Golden Delicious apples

More Recipes by Chef Kevin Belton:

• Recipe: Chef Kevin Belton's Andouille & Alligator Gumbo
• Recipe: Roast Beef Debris Po'boy

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Watch Chef Kevin Belton every Tuesday morning on Eyewitness Morning News on WWL-TV and WUPL.