Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan or tart pan with non-stick cooking spray or butter it.
To make the apple filling: Peel, core, and cut the apples into ½ inch pieces. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the apples, brown sugar, apple cider, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook, stirring often, for about 12-14 minutes or until the apples are slightly softened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. Pour apples into the baking dish.
To make the topping: In a medium bowl, melt the butter. Add the sugar and vanilla and stir until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the heavy cream or buttermilk until smooth. It should resemble soft cookie dough.
Place big dollops of dough over the apples. You can keep them as dollops or flatten them, depending on preference. If you want the apples to show though, leave as dollops. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar.
Bake for 33-40 minutes or until the topping is golden and the juices from the apples are bubbling.
Serve the apple cobbler warm with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.
