Peach Plum Cobbler
with a crisp, crackly Hot Sugar Crust.
Hi Bakers!
Consider this your reminder to make fruit crisp and fruit cobbler like meal prep this season. Make it with whatever summer fruit is around. Eat it warm from the oven or cold from the fridge. Enjoy it for breakfast, snack, or dessert. Top with ice cream, cold pouring cream, whipped cream, or plain yogurt. If you are at the local farm stand or see berries and stone fruit on sale at the store, always buy extra. You’ll never regret it.
And if they are turning before you can eat them all, whip together this super easy, seasonal delight.
I saw a viral fruit cobbler hack that uses frozen fruit and packaged cookie dough, and thought there has got to be a better way. There must be a better use of your oven in the summer; a better way to use bits and bobs of ripening fruit; a better way to convince you that if you’re putting in the time to bake something, a little more effort goes a long way.
The easy fruit base of my Every Fruit Crisp works perfectly for the bottom of the cobbler. While I was considering the different types of cobbler toppings (drop biscuits, cake-like batter, etc.), I was reminded of Renee Erickson’s Hot Sugar Crust.
In this recipe, a quick batter is mixed together then spread over the top of a lightly sweetened fruit mixed, like chopped apples, diced stone fruits, or even a mix of berries. The batter gets sprinkled with a generous amount of granulated sugar. To the sugar, hot water is drizzled over the top of the cake before baking.
The hot water on top of the cake initially dissolves the sugar. While baking, the water evaporates and leaves a crispy, crackly crust on top of the cobbler.
It might feel super foreign to be pouring hot water on top of a beautifully prepared dish, but trust the process. The end result: bubbly fruit around the edges and a brûlée-like top.
Today’s cobbler is a mix of yellow peaches and red plums. You can use any combination of stone fruit available. Like the Every Fruit Crisp, feel free to play about with different fruit - adjusting the sugar and cornstarch as needed.
Serve the cobbler straight up or with cream (cold, whipped, or frozen). The topping is a little sweet, so even just a dribble of cold cream is decadent enough to tie it all together.
Peach Plum Cobbler
The Ingredients:
6 cups (680g) mixed stone fruit, diced into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp cornstarch
¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup (95g) all-purpose flour
⅓ cup (80ml) milk
3 to 4 tbsp granulated sugar
¼ cup (60ml) very hot water
Cold cream, for serving
The Method:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Toss together the fruit with the sugar and lemon juice together in a 10-inch pie pan or baking dish. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl with a hand mixer (or stand), beat together the butter and ¾ cup sugar until light and creamy. Add the baking powder and salt and mix to combine.
Add half the flour and mix until combined. Slowly pour in the milk and mix until it absorbs into the batter. Add the remaining flour and mix until smooth.
Sprinkle the fruit with cornstarch and gently stir to combine.
Dollop the batter on top of the fruit. Use an offset spatula to gently spread until smooth.
Sprinkle the top of the batter with the remaining sugar until completely covered. Very carefully dribble the hot water over the top of the sugar.
Set the baking dish on a rimmed sheet pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. When done, the juices from the fruit should be bubbling around the edges. The top will be golden brown and crisp.
Serving and Storage:
Allow the cobbler to cool for 30 minutes before serving. A drizzle of cold cream makes it extra delicious.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
