Few desserts are as easy or as deliciously mind-blowing as a cobbler.
Baked fruit, tossed with the acidity of citrus fruit, some sugar, a few well thought out spices, a little thickening agent, and topped with either some sort of drop batter or biscuit.
However, this isn’t just any cobbler. This is summer strawberry cobbler tucked into bed with warm soft vanilla shortbread biscuits. Do I have your attention?
Here’s the beauty of it: fruit that’s not so ripe yet? Very tart cherries, stone fruit, berries? Bought too many 2 for 1 pints of those strawberries? (speaking from experience)
Then it must be time for a cobbler!
This cobbler is truthfully bursting with sweet strawberries, and adorned with the most delicate vanilla shortbread biscuits that are baked directly in the strawberry juices. I’m not sure you’re hearing me right but, they are baked literally bathing in strawberry juice. Sign me up for that spa experience.
It all starts with the humble strawberry.
You will need:
3 pints strawberries, hulled and cut in quarters
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup corn starch
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
For the biscuits:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 stick cold butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup cold heavy cream plus more for whipping later
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a 9 inch baking dish that’s roughly 3 inches high, place your sliced strawberries and the remainder of the strawberry ingredients. This type of cobbler is similar to when you make your favorite apple pie; the fruit should be mounded because when it bakes it will shrink significantly.
Bake for 8 minutes or until the juices just begin to bubble. Set aside for topping.
Meanwhile, prepare the biscuits. In a bowl combine the flours, 1/4 cup of sugar, salt, baking powder and soda, as well as the salt. Mix to combine. Add in the butter, and break apart with your fingers incorporating it into the flour until it becomes the size of peas. The same method we used as in my scone recipe.
Add in the cold heavy cream and vanilla, and stir until the ingredients are just combined.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and pat down into a 1 inch thick circle.
Using a cutter of your choice, I chose a star for Memorial Day weekend festivity, cut out enough biscuits to cover the top of your baking dish.
Top the hot strawberry cobbler with your shortbread biscuits, and sprinkle with remaining sugar.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the top is lightly browned, but biscuits are still soft to the touch.
Let cool to room temperature. Serve with mountains of fresh vanilla whipped cream, or if you’re feeling like truly the host with the most, on top of ice cream.
This is summer time in a dessert, folks, and you’re going to want to savor every last drop. Perfectly sweet strawberries and their vanilla pillow friends can come to any BBQ at my house.
Happy eating!