Friends, here in North America, one of the earliest apples to ripen -- the classic Gravenstein -- is now hitting the stores and farmers markets.
Try this cobbler recipe and I guarantee utter bliss. You can thank me after.

Gravenstein Apple Cobbler by Tammy Rossitto
(Sonoma County Tourism Recipe Contest Winner)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 box pound cake mix (do not use a moist cake mix, it won't work)
1 cube unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
8 Gravenstein apples, cored, pared and sliced as for apple pie
2 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
2 tblsp cornstarch
1/2 c. sugar
1. Combine cake mix, 1 tsp cinnamon, pecans and butter; use either finger tips or a fork to mix until blended and crumbly.
2. Combine cornstarch, remaining 1 tsp cinnamon, cloves, salt and 1/2 cup sugar.
3. Toss cornstarch mixture with sliced apples until apples are well coated. Let stand for 5 minutes.
4. Butter a 9" x 13" glass baking dish.
5. Place apple mixture into glass baking dish.
6. Sprinkle cake mixture over apples. It will appear lumpy.
7. Bake for 45 minutes or until cake topping is golden brown
and apples are bubbling and tender.
8. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Refrigerate leftovers.
Serves 9 - 12

Got a photo, Bill, of the finished product? The 'cobbler' is a lot different than what I make. Yours kind of sounds more like a 'crisp' but without seeing it I am not sure.

Does sound good though!

Ann, I do not. I am still in the hunt for a local source for Gravensteins. I won't use any other apple.

Thanks Bill, and if you do make it, please post pics!

Yes, please do. I'm not familiar with Gravenstein apples. For my apple pies I have always used Granny Smith's but for my cinnamon, apple, pecan bundt cake I use red delicious or Honeycrisp.

Randy, it is a very old variety:

"The earliest documentation of Gravenstein apples being grown is in South Jutland, Denmark in 1669. The apple made its way to the United States in 1790 by way of German migrants and Russian fur traders. The first Gravenstein orchards were planted in the early 1800’s in California at Fort Ross. Gravenstein apples were a major crop in Sonoma County, California in the early to mid 1900’s where they were sold not only for fresh use but also as a processing apple for juice, sauce, vinegar and brandy. The late 1900’s brought about a transition in the industry and much of the land previously used for apple production is now used for wine grape production. Today Gravenstein apples are grown in California, Oregon, Washington State and overseas in northern Europe."

We are going to a get-together tomorrow south of Dallas. My wife was going to make a peach cobbler, but I'm trying to get her to try this. https://www.sonomacounty.com/a...s/gravenstein_apples

I don't know about the gravensteins. I can't remember any apples with that many letters in the name. (The peach cobbler includes Frangelico. If she won't switch I think I still win.)