Chez Panisse Berry Cobbler Recipes

CHEZ PANISSE BERRY COBBLER

Steps:

• Measure 4.5 cups of mixed berries and toss them with the sugar and flour. Let stand while you make the dough.
• Cobbler dough: Mix the dry ingredients for the dough, leaving out the salt if you are using salted butter. Cut in the butter until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal. Add the cream and mix lightly, until the dry ingredients are just moistened. The dry ingredients for the topping can be prepared ahead -- even several days ahead -- and kept refrigerated. The cream can then be added when you are ready to bake the cobbler.
• Put the berry mixture into a 1.5 quart gratin or baking dish. Make patties of the dough, 2 to 2-1/2 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. Arrange them over the top of the berries. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the topping is brown and the berry juices bubble thickly around it.
• Serve warm with cream to pour over or top with vanilla ice cream.

CHEZ PANISSE PEACH COBBLER

Steps:

• Wash, peel and pit the peaches. Slice them thin in a bowl; you should have 3 or 4 cups. Toss with the sugar and flour. Divide among 6 custard cups or individual souffle' dishes, filling each almost to the top. Make the cobbler dough (see below) and roll it out 1/4 inch to 1/3 inch thick. Cut pieces with a cookie cutter to fit the tops of the baking dishes, leaving 1/4 inch of the fruit exposed around the edges. (You can also cut the dough to desired shape with a knife or make patties of the dough, remembering to allow room for 1/4 inch of the fruit to be exposed.) Set the dough biscuits on top of the fruit and brush their tops with cream. bake in the lower third of a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Serve with the 3/4 cup whipping cream (pour over the cobbler, if desired).
• Variation: To make a peach and raspberry cobbler or a peach and blueberry cobbler, add about 3/4 cup raspberries or blueberries to the peach mixture before tossing with the sugar and flour.
• For cobbler dough: Mix the dry ingredients for the dough, leaving out the salt if you are using salted butter. Cut in the butter until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal. Add the cream and mix lightly, until the dry ingredients are just moistened. The dry ingredients for the topping can be prepared up to several days ahead and kept refrigerated. The cream can then be added when you are ready to bake the cobbler.

ESSIE'S BERRY COBBLER

Steps:

• Cream together until light and fluffy soft butter and 1/2 cup sugar.
• Sift together flour, double-action baking powder salt and stir into shortening sugar mixture alternating with milk.
• Beat until smooth pour into greased 2-quart casserole.
• Spoon over batter drained berries of your choice (we prefer blackberries--fresh may be used)(sliced peaches use #2 size can).
• Depending on heaviness of syrup in which fruit is packed, sprinkle sugar and pour drained juice.
• Bake 45-50 minutes at 375 degrees.
• My mother obtained this recipe from Gold Medal Flour when they use to put them inside the bag.

BLACKBERRY NECTARINE CRISP

Steps:

• Place a 2-quart baking dish or six 8-ounce ramekins on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Position rack in center of oven and heat to 375 degrees. In a food processor, pulse flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt once or twice to mix. Cut butter into small chunks, add to flour mixture and pulse a few more times, until mixture just comes together into small crumbly clumps. Reserve.
• In a large bowl, combine nectarines, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla. Pour nectarines into baking dish or ramekins, scatter blackberries on top and sprinkle with the topping. Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden, 45-60 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.