Fresh Fruit Cobbler

I love Summer! Not only because of the long warm days, but because of the fresh fruit available at that time of the year. I’m like a child excited at the window of a sweet (candy) shop, when I do my grocery shopping during Summer.

Last Summer, we made an effort to barbeque every weekend. For dessert, I’d usually make either a fruit cobbler or clafoutis.

The fruit cobbler is a weird thing. It can come two ways, either with fruit on the bottom and a rich-buttery British-scone-like (biscuit-like) topping OR a spongy base with fresh fruit dotted on the top. I love both types of cobbler, however, this recipe tends towards the spongy based version, which uses only 1 T butter.

The base of this cobbler is light, spongy and slighty sweet, with the fruit bursting with flavor on top. Depending on the type of fruit you use, it can add a specific tang to the cobbler.


FRESH FRUIT COBBLER
Serves 4-6
Adapted from “The OXO Cook Book: Summer Volume”, recipe by Ed Kliment

Ingredients
15g (1 T) unsalted butter
225 g (1 ½ c) plain (all-purpose flour)
2 t baking powder
Small pinch of salt
225 ml (¾ c and 3 T) milk/milk substitute
60 g (¼ c and 2 t) sugar
225-340 g (½-¾ lb) sliced fruit*

* You may need a little less, depending how much you can fit on top of your batter. Suggestions include nectarines, cherries, plums, peaches, pears, berries or apricots (these can get very tart when warm).

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.

2. Place the butter in a 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12 inch) ovenproof dish^. Place the dish into the oven for several minutes until the butter melts completely.

3. Meanwhile, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, milk/milk substitute and sugar in a bowl. Mix until all of the ingredients are just incorporated, do not overbeat. There will be a few lumps.

4. Remove the dish from the oven and carefully pour in the batter over the melted butter. Top with fruit, pressing each piece gently into the batter and bake in the middle of the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the batter has puffed up around the fruit and is slightly brown and crispy. If using a transparent dish, the bottom should be lightly and evenly browned. Cool slightly before slicing. Enjoy on its own or with a scoop of good quality vanilla ice cream.

^ You can use a smaller dish, however, the resulting cobbler will be thicker and less fruit will fit on top.