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Epicure: Rollin' in dough with seasonal fruits

by Jacqui Love Marshall

Spring is almost gone and summer is not far behind. That means a new crop of summer fruits - nectarines, peaches, apricots, cherries, plums, blackberries, blueberries - are headed our way.

Seasonal fruits are ideal eaten freshly picked, with sun-warm juices running down our cheeks, or right on the spot at an early morning farmers market. However, a good cook always plans for a follow-up round of enjoyment by baking up a fruit pastry or two during the height of the fruit season. So, this is a perfect time to talk about fruit pastries - cobblers, crisps and similar creations.

What's a cobbler? Cobblers are good for the soul but we're not talking shoes here. A cobbler is an old-fashioned dessert with fruit filling and a thick crust. It is a close cousin to the pie and can be made from just about any fruit, singularly or in combination. Technically, cobblers are made with a top crust and no bottom crust. There are many ideas about the possible beginnings of cobblers but the one I favor is this: Knowing the practicality of Southern cooks, one can easily imagine leftover biscuit dough and a few wilting berries coming together as a just-in-time dessert creation. In fact, the term "cobble up" means to mix together a meal in a hurry, probably from items on hand - hence, cobbling up a ... cobbler.

Dori Sanders is a novelist ("Clover," "Her Own Place," etc.) who was raised and lives on one of the oldest black-owned farms in South Carolina. She and her nine brothers and sisters run the farm and the now-famous peach stand. Her cookbook, "Dori Sanders' Country Cooking: Recipes and Stories" from the Family Farm Stand is as much a personal memoir as a collection of recipes. Regarding Dori's cobbler recipe, one cook said this: "I never liked peach cobbler until I made Dori's cobbler. I love it now. I ran out and bought Dori's cookbook right afterwards." (review source: www.amazon.com) An adaptation of that recipe is included below.

Beyond cobblers, there's a peck of desserts involving fruit and pastry. While all are tasty, each one plays with your taste buds in a slightly unique way. A "pandowdy" is usually made from fruit sweetened with brown sugar or molasses. Its crust is most like a pie's without a bottom crust. Halfway through baking, the crust is broken to allow it to soak up the fruit juices and soften, giving it a dowdy look that welcomes the hearty and carefree eater. A grunt, or slump, is cooked on a stove top, with hearty dumplings topping the cooked fruit. The bubbling fruit grunts and groans as it cooks. A "betty," or brown betty, is a spiced fruit dessert with buttered breadcrumbs or cake-crumb topping that browns as it cooks. (No one seems to know who the first Betty was but we're glad she thought of it.) Similarly, a "crisp" is a crunchier concoction of sweetened fruit and a crumbly topping. The British form of crisp is a crumble, a mixture of berries or other fruit with a textured sugary topping, usually including oats. "Buckles" are cake-like cobblers with crumble toppings. The buckle batter is poured into a pan, with fruit and topping placed over it. As the dessert bakes, cracks and crevices form, making buckles as the dough rises.

Cobblers and related desserts were passed down person-to-person for years before they became written recipes. In 1839, in "The Kentucky Housewife," Lettice Bryan references a peach potpie: "Although it is not a fashionable pie for company, it is very excellent for family use, with cold sweet milk." In our ready-set-go world today, these humble desserts are perfect ways to enjoy seasonal fruits at family meals or with special guests.

Let your personal tastes and cupboard guide you; then experiment with different fruit combos and use your imagination to create new culinary interpretations. Regardless of what fruit you choose or how you make it, any fruit pastry dessert is as American as apple pie and always a welcomed treat at the dinner table. I also like cobblers, crisps, etc. as an easy breakfast meal (following a quick "nuke" in the microwave) with steaming hot coffee. And, need I mention that all of these creations are made more delicious served with a scoop of ice cream or a generous dollop of whipped cream?

Jacqui Love Marshall lives in Danville with her vintage-car-loving husband, two pugs and binders of recipes. E-mail her at Epicure@DanvilleWeekly.com.

Tips for making delightful pastries

* Select the freshest and tastiest fruit available; tap fruit in the height of its harvest season.

* A basic strategy for substitutions: One berry for another and any pit-fruit for another.

* Sample the fruit before cooking. Use sugar and fresh lemon juice as needed to even out sweetness and flavor.

* Use flour and cornstarch as needed to help thicken juicy fruits to the right consistency.

* Alter the proportion of crust and fruit filling based on your family's preferences.

* When making grunts, be sure to make at least one dumpling per person.

Recipes

Dori's Adapted Easy Peach Cobbler (serves 6-8)

1-1/4 lb firm-ripe peaches (5 to 6 medium)*

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1-2/3 cups sugar

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup whole milk

Cinnamon or nutmeg for sprinkling (optional)

Optional: Lightly sweetened whipped cream or ice cream

1. Put over rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Cut an X in bottom of each peach with a sharp paring knife and blanch peaches in 2 batches in 3-quart saucepan of boiling water 10 seconds. Transfer peaches with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water. Peel off skin with a paring knife, beginning from scored end, and discard. Halve peaches, then pit and cut length wise into 1/4-inch slices.

3. Transfer peaches to a 3-quart heavy saucepan and add lemon juice and 2/3 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly, then boil, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Pour melted butter into a 13-by-9 inch baking dish. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and remaining cup sugar in a bowl, then whisk in milk just until combined. Pour batter over butter (do not stir). Pour peaches over batter (do not stir). Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon if desired and bake until cobbler is bubbling and top is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack until warm, about 25 minutes.

* Another fruit may be substituted.

Berry Grunt (serves 8)

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. plus a pinch of ground cinnamon

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder

Salt

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/3 cup whole milk, room temperature

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

4 cups raspberries (approx. 1-1/2 pints)

3 cups blackberries (approx. 1-1/2 pints)

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Optional: Heavy cream for drizzling or whipped cream for topping

1. Mix together 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside. Whisk together flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, the baking powder, a pinch of salt, and the ginger in a medium bowl. Stir together milk and butter in a small bowl. Stir milk-butter mixture into the flour mixture. Set batter aside.

2. Gently fold together the raspberries, blackberries, lemon juice, remaining 3/4 cup sugar, a pinch of salt, the remaining pinch of cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons water in a large bowl. Transfer the berry mixture to a large straight-sided skillet. Cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

3. Drop 8 large dollops of batter on top of berry mixture using 2 spoons, spacing them evenly. Sprinkle dumplings with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Cover; reduce heat to a medium. Cook until the dumplings are cooked through and juices are bubbling, about 15 minutes. Serve warm, drizzled with cream or topped with whipped cream.

Cherry-Blueberry Crisp (serves 6)

Topping:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced

1/2 cup almonds, slivered

1/4 cup sugar

Fruit Filling:

3 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca

1-1/2 pounds fresh pitted cherries, tart or sweet

3 cups blueberries

1. To make topping: Preheat over to 325 degrees. In a food processor, pulse together flour, butter, almonds and sugar until crumbly. Spread mixture on a cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool on sheet, then crumble into small pieces.

2. To make filling: In a large saucepan, combine sugar and tapioca, stir in cherries and blueberries. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until fruit is tender and juices thicken slightly. Remove from heat and cool.

3. Spoon 1/3 cup fruit mixture onto each of 6 serving plates. Sprinkle each serving with 2 Tbsp. topping. Serve with vanilla ice cream.