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1
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.
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2
Peel and core the apples and cut them into 1/4 to 1/2-inch dice.
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3
Try to get the apples pieces as uniform as possible to ensure even baking in the cobbler.
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4
Combine the apples with 1 cup of the sugar in a large bowl.
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5
Cover and set in the refrigerator while preparing the cobbler topping.
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6
The sugar will draw out some of the moisture in the apples, so the filling will be nice and thick.
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7
Combine the remaining sugar with the flour and salt in a medium size bowl.
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8
Set aside 1/2 cup of the sugar and flour mixture to coat the apples.
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9
Cut the chilled butter into small pieces and work into the sugar/flour mixture using a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers until it forms a coarse meal.
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10
Drain the sugar syrup from the apples and set aside.
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11
Combine the apples with the reserved flour and sugar mixture.
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12
Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest, and sweetened dried cranberries to the apples and stir well to evenly distribute all the flavors.
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13
Pour into the buttered baking dish.
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14
Lightly beat the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and slowly drizzle it into the flour mixture.
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15
Don't worry if it seems a little dry at first.
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16
Continue to stir the mixture until the flour is completely absorbed into the egg.
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17
(You might want to get your hands into it and use your fingers to finish.)
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18
Take a small bit of the topping and roll it into a 1-inch ball.
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19
Gently flatten the ball into a disk and place it on top of the apple mixture in the baking dish.
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20
Repeat with the remaining topping, slightly overlapping the disks.
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21
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the juices are bubbling and the topping is a light golden brown.
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22
Let the cobbler rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
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23
While the cobbler is sitting, coat the almonds with the reserved sugar syrup.
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24
Drain off the excess syrup and place the almonds on a buttered parchment lined baking sheet.
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25
Roast until the almonds are golden brown, approximately 5 to 10 minutes.
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26
Scatter them over the cobbler.
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27
Tips: To make cutting the butter into the flour/sugar mixture a bit easier, try grating frozen sticks of butter on the large holes of a hand grater.
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28
You'll have small bits of cold butter which will help the coarse meal form quickly.
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29
Use a melon baller to scoop out the core of the apple halves quickly and with minimal waste.
