Old Fashion Pandowdy

Before I found this recipe I had never heard of a pandowdy. According to gourmet.com, a pandowdy is a deep dish fruit dish that was created as a way to use leftover bread dough on baking day.
After reading the history about it and drooling over the picture, and because I am a sucker for any type of apple dessert, I had to try it. I'm happy to say I was not disappointed.

This apple dessert may not be the best looking apple dessert, but the cinnamon spiced apples topped with a sweet crunchy dough, makes this dessert win first prize in the taste category. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream or even eat it cold. It's a yummy apple dessert.




Old Fashion Apple Pandowdy
Adapted from gourmet.com



Fruit Filling

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoon water

2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 Gala or Granny Smith apples (2 to 2 1/2 lb), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into bits

Biscuit Top

2 cups all- purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoon demerara sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup heavy cream plus more for brushing


To Make The Fruit Filling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in middle. Stir together maple syrup, water, lemon juice, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and salt in a large bowl. Add apples and stir to coat. Stir in flour and sugar.
Transfer apple mixture to a 9-inch square baking dish and dot apples with butter pieces. Bake, covered with foil for 25 minutes.

While Apples Bake, Make The Biscuit Topping

Whisk together flour, baking powder, 1 tsp sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter with fingertips until it resembles coarse meal. Add cream and stir with a fork until dough forms.
Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and knead 4 or 5 times to bring dough together, Roll dough in an 8 inch square, brush with cream and sprinkle with 2 tsp of demerara sugar.

To Finish Pandowdy

Cover hot fruit with dough and bake uncovered until biscuit is just golden-about 20 minutes. Then use a spoon to break up biscuit topping. Mix slightly with filling and drizzle some of the apples and syrup over the biscuit.
Continue to bake until apples are tender and biscuit is golden brown in spots, 5 to 10 minutes.