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1
Divide butter between 2 (5- to 6-quart) wide heavy pots.
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2
Heat over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then saute apples with sugar and zest, divided evenly between pots, stirring, until apples are slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
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3
Transfer apples with a slotted spoon to 2 (2 1/2- to 3-quart) buttered shallow baking dishes (2 inches deep).
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4
Transfer all apple juices to 1 pot.
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5
Stir in preserves and brandy and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
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6
Pour mixture over apples.
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7
Preheat oven to 375deg;F.
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8
Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor just until blended.
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9
Add butter and pulse just until mixture resembles coarse meal.
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10
Transfer to a large bowl and add chilled cream, stirring gently with a rubber spatula to form a dough.
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11
(Dough will be sticky at first, but it will stiffen slightly as flour absorbs cream.)
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12
Knead dough on a floured surface 4 to 6 times with floured hands (do not overwork dough, or biscuits will be tough).
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13
Roll out dough 3/4 inch thick, flouring surface as needed, and cut out 12 to 14 rounds with cookie cutter, re-rolling scraps as necessary.
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14
Arrange rounds on top of apples about 1/2 inch apart.
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15
Stir together yolk and unchilled cream and brush on biscuits.
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16
Sprinkle sugar generously over biscuits.
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17
Bake cobblers in middle of oven until biscuits are golden and cooked through (lift one to check if underside is cooked), 35 to 45 minutes.
