Apple Pandowdy

Dutchess of Oldenburg apples are an early ripening heirloom variety

Apple Pandowdy

I grow heirloom apples. One variety that ripens very early is the Dutchess of Oldenburg. This particular apple is the size of a crabapple, but it has the genetics of a MacIntosh. So even though it requires harvesting, peeling and coring a large number of the apples to make anything, the end result is well worth the effort.

Because the apple variety is several hundred years old, I decided that it was best used in a traditional American recipe, using traditional American tools. Apple pandowdy baked in a cast iron skillet was the logical - and tasty - conclusion.

What is a pandowdy? It's basically a one-crust pie. The filling is heaped into the skillet, and pie pastry is latticed over the top. When the pandowdy is scooped out, the flaky crust mixes into the filling, absorbing all of the spicy and fragrant juice. Because apples are high in pectin, you don't need to add any thickening agents such as corn starch or Clear-Gel. However, if you like a really firm filling, you are free to do so.

You don't need a cast iron skillet for this recipe. If you have a traditional casserole dish (or if you sprang for one of those Copper Chef square pans) you can use these deep dishes to make your pandowdy. The beauty of cast iron is that it distributes heat evenly so your filling and crust aren't overbaked in one area and undercooked in another.

Pandowdy baked in a cast iron skillet

Pastry:

1 c. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

6 tbsp. vegetable shortening

2 - 3 tbsp. ice water

Filling:

1 gallon (8 cups) apple slices

3/4 c. light brown sugar

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

To make pastry: whisk together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, add shortening one tablespoon at a time, cutting in thoroughly until mixture resembles small pebbles. Add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, and blend until dough holds together. Remove pastry from bowl, shape into a ball and flatten into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour before rolling out.

While your pastry chills, prepare the apple filling. Place sliced apples in large bowl and add lemon juice. In small bowl, mix together brown sugar, spices and salt. Add to apples; use a wooden spoon to stir and coat apples with sugar, spices and lemon juice.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a deep casserole dish or a seasoned cast iron skillet with nonstick spray. Add apples to skillet; heap excess in the middle to avoid having the filling spill over the edges.

Remove pastry from refrigerator, unwrap, place on lightly floured surface and roll out to 1/8" thick. Cut into strips 1/2" wide; create a lattice over the top of the filling.

Bake the pandowdy for 35 to 40 minutes or until crust is a golden brown.

It's The Berries! Black Raspberry Crisp

Thanks to the unusually warm winter we had, my raspberry crop was a solid 2 weeks early. I grow two varieties: Fall Gold, which offers a small crop each summer followed by giant crop in September, and Bristol. Bristol is by far the better berry for cooking. This dark purple berry is sweet with a hint of tartness, holds its shape very well and each bush provides at least two quarts of berries. Luckily, these berries also freeze well, so I used part of the crop right away and bagged the rest.

Raspberry crisp a luscious fruit dessert that is incredibly simple to make. In addition, because the fruit provides most of the sweetness, it uses very little sugar. In fact, this recipe lends itself well to sugar substitutes such as Truvia.

I recommend using real butter to make the crisp topping. Butter adds a toasty flavor to the crust, which contains oatmeal. It also helps the crisp to bake to a beautiful golden brown. You'll want to use a pastry cutter to incorporate the butter with the dry ingredients. Cutting in the shortening coats the flour and oats without activating the gluten. The end result is a crunchy crisp streusel topping.

Raspberry Crisp
2 quarts fresh raspberries
1/4 c. granulated sugar or sugar substitute for baking
1 tbsp. corn starch
1 tbsp. lemon juice

Mix together 1/4 c. sugar and corn starch. Gently coat berries with the sugar and starch mixture.  Spray a 2 quart casserole pan with nonstick cooking spray and fill with berry mixture. Drizzle with lemon juice. Allow to rest at room temperature while preparing the topping.

Topping
1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar or sugar substitute for baking
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1/2 c. butter, at room temperature

Whisk together the flour, oats, sugars and spices. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously cover the berry mixture with the topping. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until topping is lightly browned.  Allow to cool before serving; this allows the berry juices to thicken slightly. Serves 6 to 8.