Apple-Blueberry Sonker

You may ask what a sonker is.  Imagine a dessert with a spicy apple-blueberry pie filling topped with a sweet cookie like crust. Well a sonker is like a fruit cobbler with a thick cookie like crust. I was introduced to this delicious regional dish when I went to a sonker festival just outside of Mt. Airy NC (aka Mayberry) where Andy Griffith grew up. You can make it with any fruit filling or even sweet potatoes (think of candied sweet potatoes). I usually serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It tastes especially good if accompanied by a bluegrass band, sitting in folding chairs, in front of a 200 year old house (you had to be there).

When I went to the sonker festival I was not expecting to be inspired. I didn’t even know what a sonker was until I got there. You need to constantly try new dishes wherever you may be to find the inspiration for new dishes. The topping for the sonker came from a local recipe but the filling was my own creation.

Filling

2 Lg Granny Smith Apples (about 1 ½ lbs) *

1 C Blueberries (fresh or frozen) *

¼ tsp Table Salt

½ tsp Fresh Ground Nutmeg

1 TBS lemon juice

1 tsp ground Cinnamon

¾ C Sugar

Crust

1 C All-Purpose Flour

1 C Sugar

1 Lg Egg

1 stick Salted Butter

8”x8” Baking Dish

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Peel and core the apples. Slice the apples thinly (1/4 inch) and place them in a large bowl with the remaining filling ingredients. Pour the mixture into the 8”x8” baking dish.

Melt the butter in the microwave for 45 seconds on high.

In a separate bowl mix the flour and sugar together. Beat the egg in a small bowl and add it to the flour sugar mixture. With a fork, mix the ingredients together until it forms large crumb like pieces. All of the flour/sugar will not mix completely. Spread the mixture evenly over the fruit filling. Drizzle the melted butter over the flour mixture. It’s ok if every little space is not covered with the butter.

Bake, uncovered, at 400°F for 40 minutes or until golden brown. You’ll smell it if it’s done.

Serve warm topped with ice cream.

* Pronto Substitutes

Apples – Substitute peaches.

Blueberries –Substitute blackberries or raspberries.

To print a copy of this recipe go to Apple-Blueberry Sonker.