Spiced Whiskey and Apple Cobbler with Snickerdoodle Cookie Crumble

Ingredients

For The Cobbler

• Ground Cloves ½ tsp
• Ground Cinnamon 1 tsp
• Ground Nutmeg 1 tsp
• Ground Star Anise ½ tsp
• Unsalted Butter 3 Tbs
• Granny Smith Apples 4, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• Whiskey 1/3 cup
• Kosher Salt 1/2 tsp
• Dark Brown Sugar 1/2 cup
• Sugar 1/4 cup
• Cornstarch 2 Tbs
• Vanilla Extract 2 tsp
• Juice of 1 Lemon

For The Snickerdoodle Cookie Crumble

• Unsalted Butter 1/2 cup (1 stick), softened
• Sugar 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs, divided
• Egg 1
• Baking Powder 1 tsp
• Kosher Salt ¼ tsp
• All-Purpose Flour 1 2/3 cups
• Ground Cinnamon 1 ½ tsp

Cook It

Cobbler

1. Combine the cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and star anise in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the apples, whiskey, salt, sugars, cornstarch, and reserved spice blend and mix well.
3. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and cook, stirring often, until the apples have softened slightly, about 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the apple mixture to an 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Set aside.
5. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Cookie Crumble

1. In a large bowl, mash together the butter and 3/4 cup of sugar. Add the egg and beat until creamy. Add the baking powder, salt, and flour and stir to make a stiff dough.
2. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and the remaining 2 Tbs sugar. Shape the dough into balls the size of a walnut. Roll them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

To Assemble

1. Break the cookie dough balls into small pieces over the apple filling.
2. Bake the cobbler until the top is golden, about 13 minutes. Serve warm.

Recipe excerpt from Modern Creole: A Taste of New Orleans Culture and Cuisine by Eric Cook with Jyl Benson, Photography by Sam Hanna. Reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith Books. Modified slightly for style.