Fall is a pretty special time of the year to live where I do.
As the days get shorter, and the chlorophyll starts to disappear from all of the leaves but the evergreens, a spectacular display of oranges, reds, and yellows is revealed. The fall foliage never ceases to amaze me, even though I’ve lived in this area most of my life.
With the shift in the color of the leaves and the temperature comes a shift in the way we eat. We crave heartier, warming dishes, and the local produce available to make these isn’t the same as it was three months ago. Though I miss my summer garden terribly, I personally welcome the change.
When I saw this danish, I was nothing short of obsessed with putting my own spin on the slightly unusual, yet luscious sounding, recipe.
I wanted to use fall-appropriate local fruit: pears and crisp, sweet apples, too, and first thought about making a pie. But since I haven’t yet ventured into gluten-free pie crust territory, and did want to keep this dessert gluten-fee, I settled on a cobbler. Cobblers are so easy to compile, yet so delicious; it’s pretty hard to go wrong when you make one.
I want to point out that you don’t have to make this recipe gluten-free: just substitute all-purchase flour (preferably organic/unbleached) for the gluten-free flour mix if that is your preference. As I have explained before, I don’t have celiac disease. I do try to limit the wheat/gluten in my diet, though, because I honestly feel best when I do.
As you can see in the photos, the cobbler doesn’t look all like you might expect a cobbler to look, because the topping didn’t really hold its shape, and spread out across the fruit when it baked. This was either because I used the gluten free topping mix, which was much less stiff than one made with regular flour would be, or because I did not refrigerate it for long enough before dropping it onto the fruit. Whatever the reason, it really didn’t matter: the dessert was still terrific.
The rosemary is completely optional, but really adds such a nice touch to this dish. I was pretty conservative with the amount because I did not want it to overpower the dessert: you could certainly add more if you love the assertive flavor/fragrance of this herb.
I took this cobbler over to a food blogger potluck at Kim’s house. I loved it, and it was met with great reviews from Jessica and Merry Jennifer, too. Peter didn’t get to try it: he had to skip out before dessert :(
I didn’t have any on hand at the time, but definitely suggest serving this with all natural, preferably homemade, vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream. I am pretty sure a dollop of creme fraiche on top would also be outstanding.
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Recipe for Apple, Pear, and Rosemary Cobbler (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
For the fruit:
- *2 1/2 pounds mixed local pears and apples I used 2 d'Anjou pears and 3 Fuji apples, peeled, cored and chopped into bite-sized pieces
- *1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- *1 teaspoon minced lemon zest
- *1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- *1 tablespoon organic cornstarch mixed into 1 tablespoon water whisk with a fork to thoroughly dissolve the cornstarch
- *1/2 cup organic brown sugar
- *4 tablespoons organic salted butter browned in a skillet (heat over low heat and watch carefully to make sure it doesn't burn)
For the topping:
- *1/2 cup organic all-purpose flour or Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Mix
- *1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- *1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- *1/2 cup salted butter softened
- *1/2 cup organic sugar
- *1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- *1 egg yolk preferably organic and free-range
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix flour, rosemary, and baking powder together in a small bowl.
- 2. Beat butter and sugar together in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon. Add the egg yolk and the vanilla and mix well. Add the flour mixture, mix well, then refrigerate while you prepare the fruit.
- 2. Combine chopped apples and pears with the rosemary, lemon zest, dissolved cornstarch, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add the browned butter and mix well.
- 3. Transfer fruit mixture to a deep baking dish, then drop teaspoons full of the the cobbler topping on top (if you use the gluten-free flour mix, the topping may be less stiff than if you use regular flour...that's ok).
- 4. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until apples and pears are very tender and bubbling, and the topping, which will spread out across the fruit, is golden brown.
