Plum Cobbler

What is a Cobbler?

A cobbler is a baked dessert that consists of a fruit filling topped with a biscuit crust. The top is usually sprinkled with sugar before being placed in the oven to bake until golden and bubbly.

The name "cobbler" supposedly comes from the appearance of the biscuit topping, which looks like a cobblestone road. Others suggest it comes from the ingredients being "cobbled" together.

Fruit cobblers have roots in early American and British baking traditions, where home cooks used seasonal fruits like plums to create hearty, simple desserts.

There are variations depending on the region:

• American-style cobblers often feature a drop biscuit topping spread over the fruit, which bakes into a fluffy or slightly crunchy layer.
• UK-style cobblers typically use a scone dough cut into rounds or dollops and placed over the fruit filling.

Cobblers are usually served warm and are often paired with custard, cream, or vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients & Substitutions

I have split the ingredients for this recipe into two sections: the filling and the biscuit topping.

Filling Ingredients

• Plums: I used red plums, but you can use your favourite ripe plums. Avoid overripe plums as they tend to make this cobbler very soggy.
• Apple: If you're using very sweet plums, use a slightly tart apple (like a Nothern Spy).
• Light Brown Sugar: This sugar has a mild caramel flavour and soft texture. Substitute with dark brown sugar for deeper flavour, or white sugar for a lighter flavour.
• Triple Sec: An orange-flavoured liqueur (optional). Substitute with orange juice or use a smaller amount of orange extract.
• Cornstarch: Thickens the fruit filling by absorbing liquid - do not omit.
• Almond Extract: Adds flavour to the filling. Substitute with vanilla extract, if desired.
• Allspice: This is a single spice with a flavour resembling a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. See substitution below.

Allspice Substitute:

Combine ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves and ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg. This will give you 1 teaspoon of spice blend, and you can measure the ¼ teaspoon for this recipe from there. Put the rest into an airtight container and save it for later.

Biscuit Topping Ingredients

• All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure and foundation for the biscuit topping. I have not tested this recipe with alternative flours.
• Baking Powder: A leavening agent, do not substitute.
• Salt: Adds flavour (omit if using salted butter).
• Light Brown Sugar: This sugar has a mild caramel flavour and soft texture. Substitute with dark brown sugar for deeper flavour, or white sugar for a lighter flavour.
• Almond Extract: Adds flavour to the topping. Substitute with vanilla extract, if desired.
• Orange Zest: Adds fresh orange flavour and smells amazing (optional).
• Unsalted Butter: Use cold butter for best results. If you must substitute with salted butter but be sure to omit the additional salt in the topping.
• Whipping Cream: I used a 35% milk fat dairy product. Substitute with heavy cream. Full-fat milk might work here, but the biscuit topping might not be as fluffy and soft as it is when you make it with cream.
• Coarse Sugar: A large grain sugar for sprinkling on top of the biscuit topping (optional).

Making the Fruit Filling

There are two main components to this plum cobbler recipe: the fruit filling and the biscuit topping.

For the fruit filling, I used sliced plums and a chopped apple.

While sweet ripe red plums are delicious on there own, I've found that adding an apple adds a nice amount of acidity to the dish.

This is something that I've discovered while making cobblers, crumbles and crisps. It's important to get that sweet-tart balance right, otherwise it will just taste kind of... flat.

Choosing the Right Plums and Apples

Here in Ontario, Canada we have access to both Japanese and European plums straight through the Fall season, although Foodland Ontario says the European ones are better for baking.

I've been told that blue plums are generally better for baking than red plums because they are firmer and less juicy, which helps prevent baked goods from becoming overly soggy. However, I like that red plums are juicier and provide a softer texture for this recipe.

Imported Italian plums (also called European plums) are another great option because of their inherent sweetness. These are the kinds of plums that are usually dried into prunes.

I used very sweet ripe red plums when I developed this recipe, and found that I needed to adjust the sweetness of the filling by adding a tart Northern Spy apple.

If you use tart plums, you could use a sweet apple (like a Honeycrisp) to balance the acidity and sweetness as well.

Adding the Spices

Once you've sliced and chopped your fruit, it's just a matter of adding brown sugar, cornstarch, almond extract, Triple Sec and allspice.

I also opted to use allspice because it tastes like cinnamon, clove and nutmeg in one spice. I like using it because I only have to measure one ingredient instead of three.

If you're not familiar with allspice, it's actually the dried berry of the Pimenta dioica plant - not a spice blend.

If you don't have allspice, you can make a blend that tastes similar (see Ingredients section).

Making the Biscuit Topping

Making the dough for the topping might seem like it could be tricky, but it's not difficult at all. The key is to keep your butter cold until you're ready to add it in.

Step 1: Grate cold butter into flour.

Step 2: Rub the cold butter into the flour with your fingers.

Ensure the butter is cold and broken into tiny pieces. These cold bits of butter are key to creating a flaky biscuit topping!

When you start to rub the butter into the flour, try to work quickly. You don't want the heat of your hands to melt the butter, and you don't want to overwork the dough.

If you have a pastry cutter, you could use that instead. Or you could use a fork.

I just like the process of rubbing the butter into the flour, and I think it's a bit faster to use my hands.

Once you have a sandy texture, you're read to move on to the next step.

Step 3: Add the orange zest, baking powder, salt, sugar, and almond extract.

Step 4: Add cream and stir dough just until the dough becomes moistened. If you over mix the dough, you'll end up with tough biscuits.

How to Assemble the Cobbler

To assemble this plum cobbler, layer the fruit mixture into a cast-iron pan or a heavy baking dish.

Top with loose clumps of the biscuit topping, then sprinkle everything with coarse sugar.

If you don't have coarse sugar, you can leave it out. I just like the sparkle and crunch that is adds to the cobbler topping.

The cobbler takes 40-45 minutes to cook through at 375°F.

How to Serve It

I enjoy this plum cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but it's also pretty good with whipped cream the next day if you eat it at room temperature.

Meanwhile, my friends in the United Kingdom prefer a nice custard to serve alongside their cobbler.

While all fruit cobblers are best served warm, I've found that leftovers heat up well enough the next day.

How to Store Leftover Cobbler

Make sure your cobbler is completely cool before storing.

To store leftover cobbler, cover it tightly with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. It should stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To reheat, warm individual portions in the microwave or place on a heatproof dish in a 350°F (175°C) oven until heated through.

I prefer not to freeze cobbler, as I have found this makes the topping soggy.