This dessert represents a marriage of two other desserts. The first is a Blueberry Nectarine Crisp that I have now decided is a bit too sweet for my taste. I now prefer that dessert in a cobbler form (my husband still prefers the crisp. Perhaps you need to make both and decide for yourself). The second part of this dessert is a cobbler topping that I first found at The Pioneer Woman (long may she rein).
This fruit/biscuit like combo is easy to change according to what is ripe. I often use this topping with blackberries and/or raspberries, but you could use almost any berry or stone fruit. You might also try it with pears or simmered dried fruits like apricots or cherries or cranberries. Really the possibilities are endless because this dessert lets the fruit shine. Just be sure to adjust the sugar and citrus as needed.
Blueberry Nectarine Cobbler
- 3 cups fresh blueberries (about 1 1/2 pints)
- 3 cups sliced nectarines (about 4-5 large)
- 1 cup sugar, divided (or slightly less if you want more tart and less sweet)
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour, divided
- zest and juice of half a lemon plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch squares
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 egg
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
First you make the filling. Put half of the fruit in a medium saucepan. Add 3/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons of flour. Stir to mix.
Bring to a soft boil, stirring constantly, and simmer until liquid thickens. Remove from heat, transfer into a bowl and stir in the uncooked fruit, lemon zest and juice.
Let cool to room temperature. Taste liquid, and adjust flavoring by adding lemon juice, if necessary. At this point, you can use the filling right away, let it sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours or refrigerate it for several hours.
Next you make the yummy cobbler topping.
Place 2 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 1 tablespoon sugar in bowl. Add butter.
Work mixture together with a pastry blender (or your fingers) until the mixture is coarse.
Whisk together 1/2 cup of milk and the egg and then add to the flour mixture, stirring as you go. Mixture will be somewhere between smooth and clumpy and not really dry, but not over sticky. Just mix until it holds together and is about the same wetness throughout.
Pour the fruit mixture into a buttered baking dish. Take clumps of dough, lightly flatten dough with fingertips and place them on top of the fruit. Sprinkle with remaining sugar (3 tablespoons). Because the dough isn’t very sweet, I like to poor a lot of sugar on top for contrast.
Bake until golden, about 30 minutes, but watch it. The little sticking up parts are want to burn. Enjoy.
