Monday, October 5, 2009

Traditional Apple Cobbler w/ Amaranth Topping

This is the first recipe I tried out of Nicolette Dumke's newest book I Love Dessert but NOT Sugar, Wheat, Milk, Gluten, Corn, Soy, Unhealthy Fat... In this book, Nicolette presents many different allergy-friendly, kitchen-tested options for each recipe so that you can pick the ingredients that suit your dietary needs.

I was drawn to the amaranth topping for this recipe because it is not a grain, and I tend to feel better when I'm not eating grains. I chose apples for the filling because we have an abundance of amazing, locally-grown apples now - so many, in fact, that I'm going to have to start getting real creative... I was also drawn to the sweetener used in this filling - apple juice concentrate, which I have not experimented with yet.

My husband and I were both pleasantly surprised! We loved how thick and gooey the filling got, and how cake-like and tasty the topping was! The intense sweetness of the filling was perfectly complimented by the topping. Yep, I did take a scoop before taking a picture...sorry! This is a real winner and will probably make a weekly appearance in our house throughout the Fall months.

* This post is liked to Slightly Indulgent Mondays at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free.

Nicolette Dumke's Apple Cobbler with Amaranth Topping
reprinted with the author's permission
Ingredients for the filling:
  • 4 to 5 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced to make 3 1/2 to 4 C of slices (or 1 20-ounce can of sliced apples canned in water such as Mussleman's brand, drained)
  • 1/2 C apple juice concentrate, thawed
  • 5 t arrowroot or tapioca starch or 2 T quick-cooking (minute) tapioca
  • 1/2 t cinnamon
For the topping:
  • 3/4 C amaranth flour
  • 1/4 C arrowroot
  • for a corn-free version, use 3/4 t baking soda + 1/8 t unbuffered vitamin C powder (I used baking powder instead)
  • 3/8 C apple or pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
  • 1/8 C oil
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Drain the canned apples if you are using them, or peel, core and slice fresh apples.
  3. In a saucepan, stir together the apple juice concentrate, starch or tapioca, and cinnamon. If you are using tapioca, allow it to stand in the liquid for at least 5 minutes.
  4. Add the apples to the pan and stir.
  5. Heat the mixture over medium heat until it thickens and comes to a boil. You do not need to stir it constantly while it is coming to a boil and can begin preparing the topping during this time.
  6. As it begins to steam and nears the boiling point, stir it constantly. When it comes to a boil, boil it for 1 minute.
  7. Put the fruit into a 2 1/2 - 3 qt casserole dish.
  8. Prepare the topping: Combine the amaranth, arrowroot, and baking soda/vitamin C powder or baking powder. Stir together the juice and oil in a cup. Add the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until they are just mixed.
  9. Drop by spoonfuls onto the fruit in the casserole dish.
  10. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the topping begins to brown. Makes 4-6 servings.
Enjoy!



3 comments:

  1. I am going to get some amaranth flour and try the cobbler topping. I have seem people use almond flour and I like the consistency but I don't like the added fat. It's too much for me.

    Thank you for participating in Slightly Indulgent Mondays! Your contributions are fabulous.

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  2. This looks delicious =D. I'm a sucker for anything with apples this time of year!

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  3. love the use of juice in this recipe as a sweetener.

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