Apple Cobbler

Living in the Pacific Northwest has the benefit of being with nature. During summertime friends and neighbors often stop by with blueberries or blackberries that they picked on farms or even in parks or along roadways. The fall season is for apple picking, so my friend dropped by my house yesterday with a bushel basket of different kinds of apples that she picked while visiting her uncle's orchard in Yakima, Washington.. I posted an apple cobbler recipe in my blog before, but recently I found an old recipe from a cookbook that featured many favorite recipes of diverse famous hotels around the country. This recipe is for the apple cobbler served at the Ahwahnee Hotel, which is set on the valley floor of Yosemite National Park. I will share this recipe here. Even though this recipe comes from a real chef, it is quite easy for an amateur cook like me to prepare. I omit the Anglaise sauce that is called for in this recipe because I think it is a little too rich for my taste; I cut the original recipe's ingredients in half to serve six.
 Ingredients:
The Batter
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup half and half or whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
The Fillings
1 pound apples, peeled, cored and cut into thin slices (about 3 cups)
2 tbs apple brandy
1/4 cup sugar
Anglaise sauce (optional)
1/2 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream, heated

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Then stir in the sugar and the baking powder. Whisk in the half and half and vanilla. With a wooden spoon, gradually stir in the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and beat until smooth. Set aside.

In another large bowl, toss all the apple fillings.
 Butter the bottom of a 9" x 9" baking dish and spread the apple slices evenly in the pan and pour the

batter over them. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm .

To make Anglaise sauce:
In a large bowl, beat the sugar with the egg yolks until the mixture is thickened and a pale yellow color. Gradually beat in the hot cream. Pour the mixture into the top of a double boiler over medium heat. Then cook and stir constantly until it thickens (do not allow the sauce to come to a simmer). Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and let cool.