John Adams' Favorite Dessert Was His Wife's Apple Pan Dowdy

Founding Father and second President of the United States, John Adams, had a lot of nicknames during his tenure in the public eye. But quite possibly the most fitting—at least for the purposes of this article—was the nickname "His Rotundity." Yes, Adams was known for being a big dude with a big appetite, especially for his wife's apple pan dowdy. 

For those unfamiliar with the flakey baked goodness of an apple pan dowdy, it's very similar to cobbler dishes, where the filling goes into a baking dish and is covered with a pie-like crust. But unlike a cobbler, an apple pan dowdy calls for the crust to be broken in with a spoon during the baking process.

John Adams' wife, Abigail Adams, was much more than just an excellent dessert maker, she was a progressive visionary who often challenged and or enhanced her powerful husband's perspective on the world. In a series of letters to John Adams, Abigail denounced the practice of slavery and even pushed for women's rights a good 150 years before the 19th Amendment was passed. Like many women in the colonial era, Abigail was expected to run the house, keep everyone safe, fed, and happy.

Abigail Adams held the distinct honor of being the first First Lady to live in the White House and with that honor came the great responsibility of setting the tone for hosting and entertaining. Her love of making apple pan dowdy reflected colonial America's most popular dish at the time. Apple pan dowdy is a very approachable dessert, it's even in the name, "dowdy" which was adapted from a Middle English word meaning shabby or clumsy. It's a simple recipe, combined with easy-to-access ingredients such as apples, flour, butter, shortening, and salt, which is why it was a favorite of homemakers with large families and a larger list of responsibilities.

It seems John Adams had a strong pull toward apple-infused dishes considering when he was at Harvard University, his favorite way to start the day was with a hard apple cider. As access to produce evolved and the American palate changed, the apple pan dowdy slowly fell out of popular favor. If you're hankering for an apple pan dowdy like His Rotundity, you'll have better luck looking out for its cousin, the crave-worthy apple cobbler, on the menu.