Mama Judy’s Famous Apple Cobbler!

This week, we will be sharing three of Dulcie’s favorite holiday recipes. The first recipe we’ll be sharing is a recipe for a classic dessert that is her mother’s family favorite. This will surely warm up your hearts, ready for the colder holiday seasons!

Great cobblers 101

Cobblers are a classic dessert that pairs baked fruit with a simple, buttery topping. Traditionally made with seasonal fruits like peaches, berries, or apples, cobblers are beloved for their rustic charm and ease of preparation. The biscuit-like or cake-like crust is baked to golden perfection, creating a delicious contrast to the soft, juicy fruit contained within. These versatile, comforting desserts bring people together and are a staple of many culinary traditions.


Cobblers are a perfect holiday treat, offering warmth and nostalgia during festive gatherings. Whether made with cranberries and apples for Thanksgiving, or spiced pears for winter celebrations, cobblers represent the cozy flavors of the season. Served warm with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, they add a sweet, crowd-pleasing finish to any holiday meal.

Featured Image sourced from: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/282982/easy-apple-cobbler/

Recommendations for the Perfect Cobbler:

While cobblers were once made with pie dough, a rich biscuit dough is now the popular choice. To achieve a tender crust, avoid overmixing. You should quickly stir in the liquid and knead gently a few times. Cobblers work well in square, round, or oval gratin dishes, with a 12-inch oval pan being ideal. Almost any fruit or combination can be used, with berries being the traditional favorite. Unsweetened frozen berries can substitute for fresh ones; simply bake a bit longer without thawing. Enhance the filling with a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice, and thicken the fruit juices with sugar and a small amount of thickener. Serve the cobbler warm, paired with cream, whipped topping, ice cream, or frozen yogurt for an irresistible dessert.

Mama Judy’s Famous Apple Cobbler!

Image sourced from: https://celebratingsweets.com/apple-cobbler/

This recipe makes the perfect amount of dough for one cobbler recipe and may be varied with other ingredients, such as cornmeal or sour cream. You can cover fruit with a whole piece of dough, cut the dough into shapes, or spoon nut-sized pieces of it off and roll into small balls. While heavy cream makes the richest cobbler biscuit dough, milk is a fine substitute.

Have ready an unbuttered enameled cast-iron, earthenware, or glass baking pan of about 2-quart capacity and 2 inches deep, such as an 8 x 8-inch or 11 x 7-inch pan; a 12-inch oval gratin; or a 9 x 2-inch or 10 x 2-inch glass pie pan.

Apple Cobbler Filling

Ingredients:

  • Tart apples (such as Granny Smith) – about 2.5 lbs (approximately 6 cups), sliced and quartered
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or 1.5 to 2 tablespoons for extra tartness)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Equipment:
12-inch oval gratin dish or 11×7-inch glass Pyrex pan

Instructions:
Slice and quarter the apples to about 6 cups. If holding them briefly, toss with lemon juice and a bit of water to prevent browning, but don’t store longer than a few hours for freshness. Mix the apples, sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl and let the mixture stand for 15 minutes, stirring a few times to help the apples soften slightly. Pour the filling into the baking dish and level it gently with the back of a spoon, then dot the top with pieces of unsalted butter. Follow the instructions for whipped cream cobbler dough to execute the crust. You may sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon. Mama Judy preferred to glaze the crust with sugar, cinnamon, and pineapple/orange juice to make a glaze (Make sure to keep the fruit glaze light so that it does not soften the crust too much). Bake as directed in your crust recipe until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown. Let it cool slightly before serving.

The Best Simple Cobbler Crust

Whisk together in a bowl:

  • 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Add:

  • 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Toss with the dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter into the dry ingredients (as for Basic Rolled Biscuits, 789) until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Add:

  • ⅔ cup heavy cream

Mix with a wooden spoon, rubber spatula, or fork only until the dough comes together and can be rolled or patted. Gently knead the dough in the bowl 5 to 10 times if needed, turning and pressing any loose pieces into the dough. Dust the top and bottom of the dough with a little flour, then roll or pat the dough with your hands to the shape of the top of the baking dish, between ¼ and ½ inch thick. Cut the dough into circles, squares, rectangles, or pie wedges, into 1-inch strips for a lattice, or trim the edges and leave it whole. You may also gently roll small pieces of the dough into balls, flatten each one slightly, and place on the fruit. If making a lattice, arrange the strips in opposite directions, weaving them if you like. If leaving the dough whole, cut 3 small holes for steam vents. Place the biscuit dough on the fruit. Lightly brush the top with 1 to 2 tablespoons melted butter, cream, milk, or lightly beaten egg. Sprinkle with about a tablespoon of sugar

Bake the cobbler as directed in each recipe, typically 45 to 50 minutes.

Credit for this recipe goes to Mama Judy and her variation of Cobblers and Crusts derived from “The All-New Joy of Cooking” by Irma S. Rombauer

Dulcie Crawford is a native Nevadan, born and raised in Las Vegas. Dulcie is a Community Expert & stays current with updates on market trends & market conditions.  A senior Realtor with Signature Real Estate Group, she has sold over 1,300 homes since 1998. You are assured an exceptional experience when buying or selling Real Estate with The Dulcie Crawford Group.