Michelle Obama’s Apple Cobbler Captures the Essence of Classic American Baking

It's hard to think of fall or the Thanksgiving holiday without a proper apple cobbler or apple pie. Sometimes, however, trying to fit the needs of your guests and offer both can be a daunting task. Thankfully, this year, there's a way to deliver both—and you won't have to turn on your oven twice.

Since Thanksgiving is the ultimate food fest of the year, it was important that we sussed out the very best recipe we could find. The result? Former First Lady Michelle Obama's Apple Cobbler.

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As the story goes, when the White House's pastry chef, Bill Yosses, heard that the former POTUS loved pies, he set out with his team to make a variety of pies every day in an attempt to satisfy Barack Obama's sweet tooth. Yosses' pies became favorites for the then-First Family, with Obama dubbing Yosses as "The Crustmaster." While Yosses's pies have been long discussed as some of the best, it's Michelle Obama's unique take on apple pie that is rumored to be the former president's absolute favorite.

With all of that in mind, I grabbed the ingredients I needed for what I hoped would be a new favorite dessert.

Get the recipe: Michelle Obama's Apple Cobbler

Ingredients for Michelle Obama's Apple Cobbler

For this cobbler, you're going to need Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced (or a bag of frozen peeled sliced apples), brown sugar, cinnamon, ground nutmeg, salt and flour. For the crust, pick up three sheets of refrigerated pie crust and a stick of butter.

How to Make Michelle Obama's Apple Cobbler

Mix the apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and flour together in a bowl. Let the apples sit in the spice mixture overnight. Michelle says this is so that the spice goes all the way through the apples.

Next, preheat your oven to 325°. Butter and flour the bottom of a large baking dish or a pie pan. Roll out three pie crusts very thin and very evenly (I used an adjustable rolling pin from Milk Street to make sure my layers of dough were completely even). Layer the bottom of the pan with 1 1/2 of the pie crusts and prick a few holes in it.

Related: 25 Types of Apples (and What to Do With Them) to Help Keep the Doctor Away

Pour the apples and any liquid from the bowl into the pie pan. Cube your butter and arrange three-quarters of it over the apples. Melt the rest of the butter for brushing on top of the crust. Use the final 1 1/2 pie crusts to cover the apple mixture. Pinch the edges of the dough around the sides of the pan so the cust is sealed.

Brush the crust with melted butter. (I also brushed on an egg wash halfway through baking to get the crust golden). Reduce the oven temperature to 300°, and bake for up to 3 hours (Michelle says that’s what makes the crust flaky, "like Barack likes it."). Set a timer for 2 1/2 hours and start to peek at it around then so that it doesn't burn.

Related: The One Thing Michelle Obama Ate for Breakfast Every Morning Growing Up

What I Thought of Michelle Obama's Apple Cobbler

This giant cobbler (pie) is worth the wait. From the first flaky bite, I was in love. The tartness of the Granny Smith apples paired so well with the sharp cinnamon and nutmeg and the caramelized brown sugar. And the crust was one of the flakiest I had ever baked, so Michelle was definitely right about that. The longer bake time at a slightly lower temperature enabled the crust to cook slower and the initial burst of heat ensured the bottom crust didn't come out soggy.

I also took Michele‘s advice and went for a long walk while that pie was in the oven. When I came back after about three hours, the apple cobbler had perfumed my entire house in the most fabulous fall kind of way, and I could smell it before I opened my front door.

Related: 85 Amazing Pie Recipes For Every Occasion

Tips for Making Michelle Obama's Apple Cobbler

1. Be prepared! The pie requires a thawed crust, so make sure you take yours out of the freezer in enough time before baking. Keep in mind that this also bakes for three hours.

2. Get a good knife. This recipe requires a lot of apples, so if you have an automatic slicer or automatic peeler, it might save you a little time.

3. Get creative with your crust. To be the "Crustmaster" of your own house, get creative with your top crust by making designs with the leftover dough, or just go for a simple crimped-edge.

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