Sprinkle Apple Cobbler With Pomegranate Seeds For A Tart Finishing Touch

Apple cobbler is a delicious fall dessert. It is full of sweet, spiced, warming goodness that melts in your mouth with each bite. It isn't right, then, that this dessert be relegated to just a few months out of the year — and it doesn't have to be. You can transform this cobbler into a treat that delights almost any time of year by adding flavors reminiscent of times other than autumn. Our recommendation? Throw in some pomegranate seeds.

The flavors of apple, sugar, cinnamon, and dough are a heavy combination meant to stick to your ribs as the weather gets colder. Transferring cobbler to other seasons means introducing ingredients that will balance out these traits. A great way to counteract the sweetness and richness of this recipe is to add something acidic, as Rika Hoffman does in this recipe for pomegranate apple cobbler. She does so primarily by adding pomegranate juice reduction, but even just sprinkling the fruit's seeds on top of an existing cobbler can add bursts of refreshing, sour flavor that will cut through the buttery, sugary cobbler and create a more balanced, universally appealing dish. As a bonus, the seeds will bring a little extra color and texture to the top of the cobbler, making it a bit more interesting, too.

Thanks to the popularity of pomegranates, they can be found at most grocery stores. Ripe pomegranates look similar to those that aren't quite ready to enjoy, so keep an eye out for those that have a more geometric shape, with six flat sides, and that feel heavy in your hand when lifted. This will ensure you have the freshest, juiciest seeds available to top your cobbler. If you can't find whole pomegranates, many stores offer packages of pomegranate seeds, also known as pomegranate arils, which also have the added benefit of convenience.

Peeling and sectioning whole pomegranates to get to the seeds can be frustrating if you do not know how best to approach the process. We have shared several tips for removing pomegranate seeds in the past, all of which have their benefits. The most traditional method is to cut the fruit into quarters and then peel away the remaining pith with your hands, but this approach can result in quite a mess. For a neater method, perform the same steps, but go about separating the pith from the seeds while submerging the sections in a bowl of water. This will prevent juice and shreds of pith from getting all over your hands and counter and will also allow for easy collection of the loose seeds once they are strained from the bowl. From there, simply dry them off and add as many as you'd like to garnish your sweet appley cobbler.