You may recall that I shared a peach cobbler recipe a few weeks ago. Somewhere along the line, I mentioned having another recipe for cobbler, one where the topping starts in the bottom of the baking dish but rises to the occasion during baking, giving you a perfectly formed topping to the rich fruit/berry filling. How can this be?
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Do you believe in magic?
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I’ve made this cobbler more than a few times over the years. Peaches, plums, strawberries you name it, I’ve used them all. It’s an easy recipe, a fast recipe, and one that is sure to please everyone at your table. Just bear in mind that the topping of this cobbler, unlike the peach cobbler recipe I shared HERE, is more cake-like than biscuit. I happen to like them both and now you’ll have a choice.
The recipe is as easy as 1, 2, 3 …
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Melt Butter in Baking Dish
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Add Batter – Do Not Mix
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Add Par-Cooked Filling – Do Not Mix
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Bake while singing “Abracadabra!” and … Ecco!
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Plum Cobbler Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup all-purpose (AP) flour
- 2 cups sugar – divided
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 1 cup milk
- 4 cups plums, pitted and chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ground cinnamon and/or nutmeg, to taste (optional)
Directions
- Pre-heat oven to 375 F (190 C).
- Pour melted butter into a 9 x 13 x 3″ baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, with salt and mix well.
- Add the milk, mixing until just combined. Pour this batter into the baking dish containing the melted butter. Do NOT mix.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the plums, lemon juice, with remaining cup of sugar and bring to a boil over med-high heat. Stir constantly. Remove from heat and add optional cinnamon and/or nutmeg.
- Carefully pour the plum mixture into the baking dish. Do NOT mix.
- Bake on a baking sheet in the center of a pre-heated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Alternately, you can forget to set a timer and eventually find a cobbler in your oven resembling the one in the final picture above
- May be served warm or cold, garnished with ice cream or whipping cream.
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Variations
As mentioned, you can use whatever fruit or berry that you like for the filling. I’ve never used a thickening agent, like flour or cornstarch, for fear of it affecting the cake’s formation magic.
Although the recipe lists cinnamon and nutmeg as optional, I rarely use them. I find that they can easily overpower a dessert, so, I use them sparingly in my cobblers, if at all.
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It’s déjà vu all over again …
Today’s Blast from the Pasta, Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, is probably the most versatile of all pasta recipes. Prepared as written and you’ll be enjoying a delicious pasta dinner within minutes but that’s only part of the story. Saute some vegetables and you’ll have a great pasta primavera. Add some clams with a touch of white wine and you’ve got the classic pasta con vongole. The choices are endless and I prepare this dish, in one form or another, just about once a week. You can see the recipe by clicking HERE.
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Coming soon to a monitor near you …
Branzino al Cartoccio
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An Update
Although I’m the proud owner of some new, fancy schmancy equipment, I am still without a DSL. I have been promised, however, that service will be restored, better than ever, sometime this evening — and companies, especially very big companies, never ever lie.
Thanks for your comments and well-wishes.
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from the Bartolini kitchens 