"Boscoe Bakes" Cranberry Apple Pandowdy........."Welcome Y'all.... Comfort Food"

For those of you who don't know what a "Pandowdy" is, I'll conduct a brief "Pandowdy 101" and make it as brief as possible (ya, right!) The rest of you "pandowdies in the know", take heart......... I've included pictures of this marvelous creation in its' various stages of evolution for your viewing pleasure. Feel free to nod, ooh, aw, and lick your chops.  You know this is going to be good! Quite simply, the "Pandowdy" actually takes its' origin from the word "dowdy" which is "a woman who is unfashionably or unattractively dressed. So in order to achieve this social faux pas using fruit, you must "dowdy" it up! Quite simply, half way through the baking process (see picture), remove the pandowdy from the oven, and then ignoring all "fashionable and attractive fruit etiquette" score the crust into squares. Then either using a spoon, or pastry brush, submerge or "paint" each square with the succulent brewing juices, and then return this masterpiece to the oven to complete the "dowdiness" process. I guess this would be similar to throwing a gallon of "complimentary" paint on someone in their prom dress, and then hitting it with a hair dryer to complete the effect!  Once this comes out of the oven, let it rest for 20-25 minutes, and then serve it with your choice of heavy cream, flavored whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. So....... there you have it. My recipe for this disheveled but disarmingly decadent dessert, follows. Enjoy!  

Boscoe's Cranberry Apple Pandowdy

I start with the basic "Apple Pandowdy" recipe from "The All New All Purpose "Joy of Cooking" on page 894. I quadruple the recipe (i.e. 16 medium apples, etc.) and add one 12 ounce bag of whole (fresh or frozen) cranberries. Additionally, I include the zest from one orange and a tablespoon of good dark rum. These additions add vibrancy and zest, while comfortably pairing the fruit with the complimentary spices.