Cobbler Recipe

I use the same cobbler recipe all the time.  I vary the fruit from season to season, but the cookie crisp topping is always the same.  One of these days, I'm going to add some cinnamon to the topping so it is like a cinnamon cookie but I haven't done that -- yet.  I made cobbler on Sunday.  We had picked up some strawberries at the Farmers Market and I picked some rhubarb from the garden.

I set out my dish and fill it with fruit as I slice it up.  I stop when I have a nice round dome just above the rim.  This recipe works with any kind of fruit.  I've made it with apple, peach, berries and plum.  I mix my fruit; often tossing blackberries in with rhubarb or peaches.

Once I have "measured" out my fruit, I dump it in a big bowl.  You can make this cobbler in a deep dish pan like I do, or a square backing dish -- it's very forgiving.  I add sugar to taste -- use 1/2 cup as a starting point; less for sweet fruit like peaches, more for tart like rhubarb.  You can use flour (1/3 cup) or tapioca (1/4 cup) as your thickener.  I prefer tapioca because it makes a clearer filling.  But they both work well.  I usually sprinkle on some cinnamon or vanilla.  With apples, I add some lemon juice and nutmeg in addition to the cinnamon.  Play with it.

I mix up the fruit with the seasonings and pile it back in the bowl.

Next, I melt some butter in a measuring cup.  I use 1/2 stick for juicy fruit and 3/4 for drier fruit.  In a separate bowl beat one egg.  Set those aside.

In a medium bowl, mix:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Stir them together, then add the beaten egg.  The mixture will be kind of dry and crumbly.

Pour the topping over the fruit and use your hands to spread it out towards the edges.

Then, drizzle the melted butter on the top.

Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.
Shut the oven off, but leave the cobbler in the oven.   This step is the one that gives you a wonderful crispy crust.  In the winter, I will open the oven door a tad; in the summer I leave it closed tight.  When the oven has cooled down (in an hour or so), take the cobbler out.

And enjoy!