juicy apple cobbler with a fluffy crust

What a week. My mother has been fading after a year of ups and downs, and I find myself puttering around in the kitchen a lot, eyeing the phone, looking at the ceiling, staring into space and sending her mental love notes. My daughter and I visited her last Friday, for which I am very grateful.

(Update: Friday: My Mom died today, and we are all hopeful she is in a better, happier place. She will be missed.)

So. Here I am, wishing I could share this delicious apple cobbler with her - with chunks of juicy MacIntosh apples dusted with cinnamon and nutmeg, topped with a soft dough that bakes into a perfect fluffy crust. I make these in small ceramic dishes - just enough for two people. Scoop into the hot cobbler and spoon out onto a plate with the crust down and there it is. Top with ice cream or drizzle with cream, as you wish. I like it plain.

Enough for two 4-5 inch dishes, each serving two people. Or you can make this in a pie tin or a shallow ovenproof tart dish.

To make:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Butter a pie dish or two smallish (4" or 5") ceramic dishes

For the apples:

2 T. sugar

1 T. lemon juice

4-5 cups peeled apples, cut into large dice

1 1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. nutmeg

Place the diced apples in a small bowl and toss with the sugar, lemon juice, and spices.

For the dough:

1 cup King Arthur all purpose flour

1 T. sugar

1 t. baking powder

pinch of salt

3 T. cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/3 cup plus a tablespoon of milk

In mixer bowl, place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix in the cold butter until it is incorporated well.

Add the milk and mix until the dough forms a soft ball.

On a floured board, knead the dough a minute or two, then roll out dough and cut to fit the pans or dishes you're using. The dough should be fairly thick, so don't roll it out too thinly!

Place cobblers on a baking sheet and bake for about 25-30 minutes. Remove to cool, then serve.