Recipes

Apple Cobbler with Grains of Paradise

Serves 4

| Prep Time: 15 mins

| Cook Time: 35 mins

| Total Time: 50 mins

You may need: Grains of Paradise

Discover The Recipe

Apple Cobbler with Grains of Paradise is a cozy dessert that is perfect for winter months when entertaining guests indoors during the holidays becomes a priority. Fresh apples are tossed in fragrant spices then simmered in their juices under a fluffy, biscuit-like crust. This rustic dessert is easy to make and is a great way to use up apples during the fall season. You can use your favorite apple variety for this recipe but we recommend Sweet Red apples or Granny Smith apples.

Our chefs developed this delicious and unique plant-based dessert by adding Grains of Paradise – a fragrant spice/ seed used in African cooking. The seeds emanate notes of cardamom, coriander, ginger, nutmeg and juniper. While this seed is often used as a substitute for black pepper in some savory recipes, its versatility and complex flavor lends itself well to sweet recipes much like this Apple Cobbler filling. Our chefs also added a sprinkle of Zanzibar Zest which is a meticulous crafted blend of cardamom, ginger, cloves and cinnamon that further complements and enhances the warm and cozy flavor profile of this dessert. Be sure to crush the Grains of Paradise seeds using a pepper grinder or mortar and pestle so that it incorporates well in the dessert. Serve your spiced Apple Cobbler with vegan vanilla ice cream and even sprinkle some Grains of Paradise on top for an aromatic finish.

Ingredients

Cobbler Filling:
4 large sweet red apples, thinly sliced
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tsp Piquant Post Grains of Paradise, crushed
1 tsp Piquant Post Zanzibar Zest
¼ teaspoon salt
Juice from ½ of a lemon
Cobbler Topping:
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup vegan butter
¼ cup non-dairy milk
To serve: vegan vanilla ice cream

Notes

The peppery flavor of Grains of Paradise is a surprising element in a sweet dessert, but we love the complexity they add to the dish! They have a slight fruity undertone that pairs well with the sweet apples

We crushed our Grains of Paradise in a mortar and pestle (or in a coffee grinder or pepper mill) to make seed-like pieces blend more subtly into the dessert. You can also sprinkle some on top of the ice cream at the end.

Looking for more Grains of Paradise recipes? Try this Peanut Butter Dip with Grains of Paradise, or this Grains of Paradise Crusted Sirloin Steak, Kachumbari, and Mishkaki (East African Beef Skewers) recipe.

We also used our exotic Zanzibar Zest in this recipe as well! Try our Vegan Malva Pudding which features this unique blend.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375

To make the cobbler filling, add the sliced apples to a medium mixing bowl and toss with the brown sugar, corn starch, Piquant Post Grains of Paradise, Piquant Post Zanzibar Zest, 1/4 tsp salt and lemon juice. Toss well until all the ingredients are well combined and the apples are evenly coated. Transfer the apple mixture to a 9” x 9” baking dish.

To make the topping, mix the flour, white sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, vegan butter and non-dairy milk. Mix together using your fingers to break up the butter and combine until pea sized clumps to topping are formed.

Place the cobbler topping in a thin layer over the apples in the baking dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly before serving and spoon it into individual serving bowls. Top with vegan vanilla ice cream if desired.

Alternatives & Substitutions

Apple cobbler is wonderful in the fall, but you can use almost any fruit in it’s place. Pears with some fresh grated ginger would go well with the Grains of Paradise or fresh berries with a hint of orange zest!
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