Apple and Pecan Cobbler

My favourite memory associated with apples is about my mom making fresh apple jam at home, and I'd be sitting on the kitchen top, watching her make that wonderful jam that would hardly suffice for 4-5 days before she'd have to make another batch! (of course, my brother consumed as much as I did!!) But in recent years, I've never really cooked anything out of apples. So as I scoured the web to find something that interests me, I found this simple apple cobbler recipe, and as I hadn't tried making a cobbler either, I knew I had found something to keep me busy this weekend. Here's my Apple and Pecan Cobbler recipe with a touch of Lavender and Nutmeg. I was skeptical about lavender at first, as cinnamon is a more widely paired spice with apples, but I tried it because my mind loved the flavor combo! The result, a delicate flavored cobbler which turned into an amazing dessert paired with vanilla ice cream!

Ingredients

Filling
1/4 cup sugar ( use 1/2 cup if the apples are not too sweet)
1 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp lavender extract (or essence; you can even use fresh lavendar flowers)
2 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 cup unsalted butter
4-5 tart apples (such as granny smith)- peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 cup pecans - chopped
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp nutmeg powder (jaayfal)

Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter - chilled and cut into cubes
1 tsp orange zest (optional)
1 cup heavy cream (or you can use 1/2 cup milk too)

Method
Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in the apple slices, pecans, lemon juice, nutmeg, sugar and finally the flour. Cover partially and cook until the apples are soft and tender (about 10 mins). Stir in the vanilla and lavender essence. Remove from heat and transfer to greased pie dish.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt for the crust. Cut in butter and mix with your fingertips until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir orange zest into cream and then use a fork to stir this mixture into the flour until the dough just holds together. Youu do not have to blend anything, so this should be fairly simple. Just mix everything with your fingers so everything is evenly coated and greased, and form a crumbled dough similar to small peas. Now roll into a long loaf the size of your baking dish with your hand or a rolling pin. Layer this over the apple mixture to cover it evenly. Grease with the remaining cream. Poke the dough in palces so that steam can escape.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and bake the dish for 10 mins. You can use less temperature setting if you've already almost-cooked the apples. Then reduce the heat to 350 deg and bake for another 15-20 mins.

Once done, remove and allow the Apple Cobbler to cool a little. Then slice it into small rectangles for individual servings. Layer a piece on a plate, top it with vanilla ice cream and/or caramel sauce and serve immediately!!

Tip: If you are unsure about the lavender in the recipe, try a small amount on a first try. I was hesitant too, but the combination really works. And paired with nutmeg and orange zest in the crust, the lavender is not too pronounced, yet gives a delicate flavor and a beautiful aroma to the cobbler. I'd suggest you surely give this a try!!