Now, I've never been particularly fond of the name, Apple Grunt, a rather course name for such a delectable mealtime treat. So, if you can think of a more apt name, feel free to suggest it! In the meantime, I'll share the recipe for one of my favorite childhood comfort foods. The apple part couldn't be more simple; peel a bunch of apples, core and slice them. Put them in your stock pot with a bit of water on the bottom to prevent scorching. You won't need too much as they'll make their own juice, just an inch or so.
For the biscuit topping my version is a bit different than my mom's heavenly, fluffy, white biscuits. Mine are pretty dense, being all whole wheat, but we love the flavor and moist texture. I add plenty of butter too, just to make sure I'm not being too healthy! Growing up we used to eat them with a side of breakfast links, though sausage is a rare treat 'round these parts.
For the biscuits I hijacked about three different recipes and put them all together.
2 scant cups whole wheat
2.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 TBSP sugar
Mix that all together, then cut in 6TBSP butter.
Add 3/4 C coconut milk and 1 TBSP vinegar
Mix it all up, shape it into a ball and roll it out. Traditional biscuits get rolled about an inch thick and then rise quite a bit in the oven. These are heavier and don't do much rising, so I roll them thicker. And we just eat short biscuits. You can bake the extras in a 450 degree over for a little over ten minutes.
You'll put the biscuits close together on top of the apples and then turn it on to steam. As the apples cook down, the biscuits will cook into a nice, moist, dumpling-like topping. You can't really overcook the biscuits, so concentrate on how you like your apples done; they can range from firm enough to hold their shape, to complete applesauce, depending on how you like them. I like my apple grunt straight out of the pot, steaming hot with plenty of salt and butter (and sometimes a side of sausage!).
