Enjoy This Simple Apple Pandowdy Recipe | Think Apple Cobber!

So if you were invited over for to my home for dinner and I said we were having Apple Pandowdy for dessert, (Pan-dow-dee) what would you say? Well to make it easy for you, I turned this into a multiple choice question!

1. Oh that sound’s great Judy, I just love anything you bake!
2. Just smile and say nothing.
3. Burst out with “What the heck’s an Apple Pandowdy?

Going for # 2?

I don’t blame you. 🙂

This post was originally published in 2016 and updated on May 1, 2018. 

Apple Pandowdy is a recipe I’ve been wanting to bake for some time now.  I just love the name, don’t you?

 It’s a classic North American dessert, created in the 19th century, and is basically an apple pie, but doesn’t have a bottom crust. 

The pastry or ‘dough’ is placed on top of the filling in pieces or dropped by spoonful’s, rather than rolling out a top crust.

Our Easy Cinnamon Roll Apple Cobbler is another delicious vintage recipe for baking apples!

So what is Apple Pan dowdy?

  Wiki says Apple Pan dowdy (or Apple pandowdy) is a baked apple pastry traditionally associated with Pennsylvania Dutch cooking, with a recipe dating back to (according to Wiki) colonial times.

I expect in colonial times, they were baking over a wood fire, or in a wood-fired oven, and using cast iron pans as well.

When it’s still warm, press the pastry into the apples with a spoon, so that it soaks up those yummy apple juices!

If you want to learn more about Apple Pan dowdy history, this is a great article on Americana apple recipes!

When I was looking for an old fashioned apple pan dowdy recipe that I could bake, I found a couple of variations. 

 Martha Stewart’s version of apple pandowdy, which is more like an apple pie, with squares of piecrust on top, and then there is the Taste of Home version, and that’s the recipe I’ve re-created here that looks more like an apple cobbler.

I like this apple cobbler version of apple pandowdy for a variety of reasons:

• It’s Perfect for an easy family dinner – takes less time than making pie crust
• I love baking desserts in cast iron skillets and I really wanted to use these new mini cast iron skillets.  I think they are so adorable!
• No special skills required!

It’s so easy to make your own Apple Pandowdy!

Here are the Ingredients you need to make your own Apple Pandowdy.  Pressed for time?  We’re baking from scratch, but you can make a great Apple Pan dowdy using Bisquick!

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3/4 cup milk
• 5 cups sliced peeled apples
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Whipped cream, optional

Directions

• In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add water and lemon juice; cook over low heat until thick. Cover and set aside.
• In a bowl, combine baking powder and remaining flour and salt. Cut in 3 tablespoons butter. Add the milk and mix just until moistened (a few lumps will remain); set aside.
• Arrange apples in 9-in. square baking dish; sprinkle with cinnamon. Add nutmeg, vanilla and remaining butter to sauce; pour over apples. Drop dough by spoonfuls over sauce. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until top is brown and apples are tender. Serve warm with cream if desired. Yield: 9 servings.

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