Is it too early to start thinking of Valentine's Day?

This topic may be off-putting for most of you . After all, why would I, a woman in her mid-thirties be talking about Valentine's Day in January? What is wrong with me? Don't I know that Valentine's Day is a money churning idea, which was created and (obviously) successfully marketed by Hallmark? And, considering my age/experience, don't I know any better? Or my favorite one - Why do I need "1" day in a year to express my love for my spouse, after all, every day should be Valentine's Day?

Can I just say that the last one really cracks me up!! I mean, if you have been married for anywhere over 10+ years, and have children, you know that the possibility of "celebrating" your love for one another has been tossed out of the window somewhere between the birth of the first and second child. Forget about celebrating your love on Feb 14th.....you will possibly not be celebrating it till your 25th wedding anniversary and at that time too - it will be because you too, Hallmark style, would have succumbed to peer pressure.
 
Anyways, the true topic of discussion today was really how I find that being married to someone for 14 years has resulted in a weird osmosis of sorts. Suddenly, the apple pie/crisps that I somewhat detested when I first got married, have become my dessert of choice. The carrot cake that I termed "too healthy", is the first pick for me (the waistline may have something to do with this one - I admit) nowadays. I had read somewhere that if you have been married for too long, you start looking like each other (God forbid, if that comes true for either of us!), but, this change in my "tastes" is really surprising - more so because it seemed to have crept up on me and I only realized it after my dear husband (DH) pointed it out to me.

The recipe I am sharing below is a divine combination of warm apples that was simultaneously sweet and tart, a salted caramel sauce full of gooey goodness and a crispy, crusty, cobbler topping. Here, the apples and the cobbler bits are more for my DH, and the salted caramel sauce is truly dedicated to me. This apple cobbler, has to be eaten to be believed.....

Rustic Caramel Apple Cobbler

(Serves 6)

 

For the apple mixture -

3 Granny Smith apples

3 Gala Apples

1/2 tsp Cinnamon Powder

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg powder

1 tbsp. flour

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

 

For the caramel sauce -

1/2 cup salted butter

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup cream

 

For the cobbler topping -

1 cup flour

3/4 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup +2 tbsp. pecans (you can try walnuts instead or skip these, if unavailable)

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

 

Roast the pecans in an oven at temperature of 180 degree Celsius for 3-4 mins till they get toasty, but not browned. Chop roughly after cooling and set aside.

 

Make the caramel sauce by adding the sugar, butter and cream to a thick bottomed pot over medium heat.  Allow the sauce to come together by letting it cook for at least another 2-3 minutes after it comes to a boil. This will result in an even sauce. Put aside.

In the meanwhile, peel, core, and slice the apples 1 cm wide (mix the gala and the granny smith together). Put in a bowl and add the lemon juice, the cinnamon and nutmeg powder, the  sugar and the flour. Mix well. Then add to a thick bottomed buttered baking dish.

 

Preheat the oven to 175 degree Celsius

Pour the caramel sauce over the apples and set a little bit aside for serving

Mix the flour, sugar, oatmeal, cinnamon powder and pecans together. Add cold, cubed butter to the mixture. Using your fingers, mix in the butter to the dry mixture till the topping becomes crumbly.

Top the apple and caramel mixture well with the crumb topping, keeping in mind that it will settle down after baking

Bake for 35-45 minutes in the oven and enjoy your rustic caramel apple cobbler while it is still hot with a nice dollop of vanilla ice cream and some of the caramel sauce on the side. The caramel sauce in the cobbler will be bubbly and very hot, so be cautious.

 

All I can add here is that sometimes, the "osmosis" can be good and blending your loved one's favorite ingredients with yours can create a true sense of solidarity and enjoyed comfort as you sit together to watch the latest episode of Sherlock Holmes on TV (more on that later :).