Cobblers

Cobblers are one of those desserts that many of us have heard of, but are unsure how to define. According to Wikipedia, they're "a dessert consisting of a fruit (or less commonly savory) filling poured into a large baking dish and covered with a batter, biscuit, or dumpling (in the United Kingdom) before being baked." (You can click here to read the whold entry.)

However you describe cobblers, they're yummy. Check out the six recipes here, including a Easy Cherry Cobbler and the Chocolate Cobbler. Yum! Enjoy!

EASY BUTTERMILK PEACH COBBLER

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this yumminess, Melissa wrote, "This easy peach cobbler is made by layering ripe, juicy fruit over batter rather than nestling it under biscuits or pie dough, giving it a tender, cakelike texture. Browning the butter before merging it with the batter adds nutty, caramelized notes, while buttermilk gives it a lovely tang. Fresh summer peaches (or other stone fruit like nectarines, apricots and plums) are ideal here, but frozen fruit also works well. Serve this warm or at room temperature, preferably on the same day as baking."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 60 to 70 minutes; Total Time: 70 to 80 minutes

This was featured in "Peach Cobbler, 2 Ways: Spectacularly Simple and Simply Spectacular," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025843-easy-buttermilk-peach-cobbler.

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh peaches, pitted and sliced (peeling is optional), or 6 cups frozen peach slices

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar, more for sprinkling

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1-1/2 cups buttermilk

1/2 to 1 teaspoon flavoring, such as freshly grated nutmeg, citrus zest, ground cinnamon, ginger or vanilla, or 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Preparation

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large (10- to 12-inch) well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan over medium heat, combine the peaches, brown sugar and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly, until the sugar melts and the liquid thickens slightly, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour peaches and liquid into a bowl and set aside. Taste a peach slice; if it seems flat, add another squeeze or two of lemon until bright and lively.

Using the same pan (you don’t need to wipe it out), melt the butter over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally, and let it cook until it smells very nutty, turns golden brown and flecks of dark amber appear, 2 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and reserve the brown butter in the pan.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Pour in buttermilk and any flavorings you like, and mix just until combined.

Scrape the batter on top of the brown butter in the pan, but don’t mix it in. The butter will rise and cover some of the batter at the pan’s edges, and this is good. Scatter the peach slices and their juices on top of the batter without stirring. Sprinkle with a little more sugar if you like, for crunch.

Bake until the cobbler is golden brown on top, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SHORTCUT PEACH COBBLER

This is from Diana Rattray on The Spruce Eats. Diana wrote, “This peach cobbler has long been a popular way to make a cobbler quickly. This version is made with canned sliced peaches, and it's perfect for when you don't have time to peel and pit several peaches. Or when peaches aren't in season.

“The batter calls for self-rising flour, but if you don't have it you may substitute with 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1-1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of table salt.

“This is an excellent dessert to make on a busy day, and it's a popular cobbler in the South. Take it along to a summer cookout or potluck!”

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Timie: 50 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Yield: 1 9X13 pan (8 servings)

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 stick (4 ounces) butter

1 cup self-rising flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup milk (low-fat is fine)

1 large can (29 ounces) sliced peaches in heavy syrup

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 F.

Put the butter in a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan or a 2-1/2 to 3 quart baking dish and place it in the oven until the butter has melted.

Meanwhile, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl and stir to blend. Stir in the milk until well blended.

Take the pan out of the oven and pour the batter over the butter.

Spoon the peaches with syrup evenly over the batter.

Bake the peach cobbler for 45 to 55 minutes, until the topping is golden brown around the edges and lightly browned in the center.

BLUEBERRY COBBLER

This was posted on the Vegetarian Times web site on MAY 1, 2017, and is from the June 2016 issue (page 35). It begins, “You can mix and match fruits for different fillings.”

Makes 4 servings. This can be viewed online by clicking here.

Note: The website was missing part of two of the topping ingredients (the “2 Tbs. sugar, plus more for sprinkling, if desired” and “1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk, plus 2 Tbs. for brushing top”). Fortunately, I had a June 2016 issue of Vegetarian Times next to me when I pulled this up from the website.

Ingredients

Filling

1/2 cup sugar

3 Tbs. cornstarch

1/8 tsp. salt

6 cups (2 lbs.) blueberries, fresh or frozen and thawed

1 tsp. melted margarine or coconut oil, optional

Topping

1/2 cup white or brown rice flour

1/2 cup sorghum or oat flour

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1/4 cup cornstarch or potato starch

2 Tbs. sugar, plus more for sprinkling, if desired

1 Tbs. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk, plus 2 Tbs. for brushing top

3 Tbs. turbinado sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375˚F.

To make Filling: Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in large bowl. Add blueberries and margarine or oil, and stir to coat. Set aside.

To make Topping: Whisk together rice flour, sorghum or oat flour, tapioca starch, cornstarch or potato starch, sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Stir in coconut milk. Let stand 10 minutes, until dough firms into spongy consistency.

Spread Filling in 2-1/2- to 3-quart baking dish. Scoop 1/4 -cup dollops of Topping over Filling with ice-cream scoop, leaving space between each dollop. Brush dollops with coconut milk; sprinkle Topping with turbinado sugar. Bake 1 hour, or until Filling is thick and bubbly and Topping is golden brown. Cool 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm.

EASY CHERRY COBBLER

This is from Leah Maroney at the Spruce Eats. For this yummy recipes, Leah wrote, "Cherry cobbler is a quick and easy cherry dessert. It’s a delicious dessert that's somewhere in between a cake and a pie and easier to make than both. Canned cherry pie filling is spooned on top of a quick and easy batter before it’s all cooked in a cast-iron skillet in the oven. You can use fresh cherries if they're available, making your own pie filling. The cherries sink to the bottom as the batter bakes and creates a cobbler.

"It’s quick to mix up and bake and everyone will love this easy dessert any time of year. It’s especially tasty served warm and topped with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Makes 6 to 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/upside-down-cherry-cobbler-recipe-304727.

Ingredients

2 ounces (4 tablespoons) salted butter, more for the skillet

1 cup milk

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup sugar, divided

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling

Directions

Gather the ingredients.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375 F. Generously butter a medium cast-iron skillet, cake, or pie pan.

Melt the butter in the microwave. Combine the melted butter with the milk, egg, and vanilla extract.

Add 3/4 cup of sugar, the flour, baking powder, and salt to the egg-milk-vanilla mixture. Whisk to combine and make a fairly smooth batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared skillet.

Pour the cherry pie filling all over the top of the batter.

Bake until puffed and golden, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup sugar over the top of the cobbler.

Continue baking until the sugar is crisped and the filling is bubbly, another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Serve warm.

Tip

If you decide to make your own filling and you have fresh cherries, check out the best way to pit fresh cherries.

Recipe Variations

You can make this recipe with cherry pie filling (as we did above) or you can try your hand at making your own cherry pie filling using fresh cherries.

You can also make this recipe using other pie fillings; try a strawberry filling or blueberry filling.

How to Store and Freeze

This cobbler can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to two days. Or store it in the refrigerator for up to four days.

You can freeze this recipe in an aluminum pan (which can be the same one you cooked the cobbler in). Just cover with foil once cooled and freeze. Reheat in a preheated oven until warmed through and serve.

What's the difference between cherry pie and cherry cobbler?

Both cherry pie and cherry cobbler contain cherry pie filling. Cherry pie has at least one thin, flaky crust and often has two, the second being a lattice crust on top. Cherry cobbler contains cherry pie filling and then is topped with a cake-like batter that bakes up fluffy and golden brown. Cherry cobbler takes less time to make, but they both are delicious cherry recipes.

CRANBERRY PEACH COBBLER

This comes from Jolinda Hackett at the Spruce Eats. Jolinda wrote, “Crock Pot Cranberry Peach Cobbler makes for a sweet breakfast treat or a light dessert. The cranberries add texture and color, making for a vibrant and tasty recipe. Serve your crockpot peach cobbler recipe plain or with a dollop of whipped cream. This recipe is both vegetarian and vegan.”

Unfortunately, I'm no longer able to find a working link for this. When about.com (where Jolinda, and many other wonderful cooks posted) morphed into .dash (dotdash), which The Spruce is part of, many of the recipes and their links didn't follow.

Ingredients

5-6 peaches, sliced

2 tbsp flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2/3 cup quick cooking oats

1 cup water

3 tbsp melted margarine

3/4 cup brown sugar

Preparation

Toss the peaches in the flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the cranberries, cinnamon and oats.

Place the water and peach mixture into the crock pot or slow cooker. Pour the the margarine over the peaches and sprinkle with the brown sugar.

Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, or until peaches are tender.

CHOCOLATE COBBLER

This is from Mark Beahm at Simply Recipes. The recipe starts with, "It’s the ultimate combination of tender chocolate biscuit top and rich, warm filling."

Mark wrote, "While cobbler is generally a dessert with a fruit filling baked under a tender biscuit topping, chocolate cobbler upgrades the summer staple into an any-season indulgence and, more importantly to me, makes it chocolate.

"The biscuit topping is buttery and rich, developing a crisp crust and fluffy interior that sits atop a thick, hot chocolate sauce. It’s easy and decadent—like a chocolate lava cake, but so much easier."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 50 minutes; Servings: 9; Yield: 1 (9X9-inch) cake

To view this online (as well as read everything Mark posted about this yumminess), click here.

Ingredients

For the first layer

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup natural cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2/3 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the second layer and to serve1 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup natural cocoa powder

1-1/2 cups hot water

Note: For a more chocolatey dessert, replace some or all of the hot water with hot coffee.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Add the butter to a 9x9-inch pan or baking dish and set in the oven to melt while the oven preheats. If you start to hear it pop and sizzle, remove the pan from the oven.

Mix the batter for the first layer:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Pour in the buttermilk and vanilla extract and mix with a rubber spatula until smooth. The batter will be thick.

Mix the ingredients for the chocolate sauce:

In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and the cocoa powder.

Assemble the cobbler:

When the oven has preheated and the butter has melted, remove the pan from the oven. Pour in the chocolate biscuit batter and use the spatula to spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cocoa mixture evenly over the batter. Slowly pour the hot water over the top. Do not stir.

Bake:

Bake the cobbler until the edges are bubbling and the center is just barely set, 35 to 40 minutes. The center will bounce back when lightly pressed. Don’t overbake.

Cool and serve:

Allow the cobbler to cool and set slightly for 5 to 10 minutes before serving warm. Spoon servings into bowls and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.

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