Speaking of eating words, I am going to have to eat some of the words I shared with you before. I went on and on how adamant I was about only liking crisps, not cobblers. Well I must now share (or actually confess) that I was wrong in thinking that a crisp topping would never compare to a cobbler topping. Because after eating this plum and raspberry cobbler I have become a cobbler convert. While I still love crisps, I now love cobblers. Or at least I love this cobbler so much so, that I think I might turn the blueberry crisp into a blueberry cobbler as the topping of this cobbler is, as they say out east, wicked awesome. Maybe I was so strong in my opinion (here comes the rationalization) because I had not found a cobbler topping that I liked. Whatever the reason for my narrow view of baked fruit desserts, I am happy to say that my liking repertoire is now permanently expanded.
Before making this plum and raspberry cobbler, I don't recall ever eating a fruit dessert with this combination of fruits before. Amazingly, these two fruits go incredibly well together. The tartness of the raspberries and the sweetness of the plums are an absolutely perfect combination.
The filling in this cobbler is dominated by fruit. Seven plums (I used black plums) and one pint of raspberries are combined with only 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter along with kosher salt and cinnamon. The plums are cut into 1/4 inch thick wedges, skins left on.
The filling mixture is cooked for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the plums are tender and begin to release some of their juices. The raspberries melt into the mixture resulting in a beautiful red purple fruit mixture. The cooked fruit can be set aside or put into the prepared ceramic baking dish (ramekins or baking dish) of your choice. The first time I made the cobbler I used ramekins which made them perfect for individual servings. The second time I used a baking dish as I was going to a gathering of 8 people. Either way you make this cobbler the presentation is really beautiful.
I have now made this cobbler twice. The first time I made the topping in the food processor, the second time I used both the food processor and a wooden spoon. The next time I make it, I will stay with the use of both the food processor and the wooden spoon as the texture of the dough is so much better when I mix in the whipping cream with a wooden spoon. Depending on the humidity you may use as little as one cup of whipping cream or a little more than 1 1/4 cups of whipping cream. The topping should be moistened with clumps. If you stir until smooth, you have taken the dough too far.
Once the topping is made, you top with tablespoons of the dough until the entire surface is covered. Sprinkle the top with granulated sugar (used about 1 Tablespoon of sugar). The cobbler is baked in a hot 425 degree pre-heated oven for 25 to 35 minutes. Check your cobbler after 25 minutes. The top should be golden brown the fruit filling will be bubbling. Important Note: Whether using a baking dish or ramekins, place on a baking sheet or you will have fruit filling spilling onto your oven (this would be mess avoidance advice).
Served with vanilla ice cream this is a perfect end of summer, fall or even winter dessert. The flavor of the topping combined with the fruit filling is comfort food at its' best. And if you need any further convincing this a dessert worth making, I had brought this cobbler to a dinner party and everyone was scraping their bowls with their spoons (a sure sign that it satisfied, even those who might even have been crisp preferrers!).
Recipe
Plum and Raspberry Cobbler (slight adjustment to recipe shared by Kate Jennings in Yankee Magazine)
Ingredients
For the filling:
7 large, ripe black or red plums cut into 1/4 inch thick wedges
1 pint fresh raspberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
For the topping:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup fine to medium white cornmeal (recommend Kenyon's Grist Mill cornmeal)
1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus additional for sprinkling on top before baking
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon (recommend Saigon cinnamon)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
4 Tablespoons, cold unsalted butter cut into cubes
1 to 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare either a 9" x 12" baking dish or 6 to 8 ramekins (6 to 8 ounce size)
2. In a medium sized heavy saucepan, stir together fruit, sugar, butter, cinnamon and salt until the plums are tender and releasing their juices, about 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
3. In a food processor, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking sosa, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Mix to combined.
4. Add butter and process until mostly blended with some pea sized pieces still remaining. Transfer to a large bowl.
5. Add in 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and stir with wooden spoon until evenly moistened, lumps will remain.
6. Pour fruit into baking dish or prepared ramekins. Top generously with dough and sprinkle with granulated sugar before putting in oven.
7. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until topping is golden brown and fruit is bubbling.
8. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve with softened vanilla ice-cream.
In the last week I have been to Newport, Maine (Kennebunkport), Martha's Vineyard and the Berkshires (Lenox, Stockbridge and Great Barrington). Of all of those places, I had never before been to the Berkshires. And having gone just once, I wondered why I waited so long to go. Even without seeing the burst of fall colors in the landscape, I fell in love with the Berkshires from the moment I saw the simple sign on the highway that said "The Berkshire". It certainly helped that the day I was there the sky was an incredible blue, it was sunny and in the 60's. My first stop was The Mount, the home and gardens of Edith Wharton. Because I wanted to take in as much of the Berkshires as a day trip would allow, I only spent 90 minutes at The Mount. I could have stayed hours walking the gardens, going through the house, and taking photos.
For a mansion, the house feels so welcoming and so much less 'pretentious' than the mansions in Newport. Don't get me wrong, I love the mansions in Newport, but The Mount, well it is a house that felt like a 'home'. As beautiful as the home is, it was the gardens that were absolutely spectacular. It would be an understatement to say that I found them mesmerizing. And in spite of the formality and grandeur of the gardens, there was such a sense of peace and inspiration in them. While I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but somehow the sense of design, proportion and elegance all worked in harmony with one another.
There was barely a wisp of change to the color of the leaves in the Berskshires, so in the next several weeks I will venture out there again. This time I will allow myself several hours in the gardens so I can attempt to capture its' beauty with my camera. And if either a cobbler or the Berkshires were not on your bucket list, you should seriously consider adding them. And sooner rather than later. Both are comfort 'foods' for the soul.
