Berry Shortbread Cobbler

Anyone want to join me while I go and stick my head under a rock and pretend summer is going to stick around forever? Summer with its juicy berries and crispy veggies, lots of sunlight and dresses-no jacket required. But as the nights get shorter and September comes rushing in, there's no denying fall, and winter, are on their way.

What to do when you can't stop summer's departure? Develop a strategy for survival through the cold, winter months and start practicing...now.

I'm a huge fan of frozen berries. There's no sense of urgency to eat them, and while not the same as fresh berries, they make a pretty darn good substitute. More often than not my freezer is stocked with a large bag of frozen berries from Costco, berries that will get me through the winter and help me make cobblers like this even on the coldest nights.

Atop the gooey, berry base is a buttery, crumbly cobbler topping. If you're anything like me, it will make you swoon and lose all sense of self control. Butter, sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon and on a whim the addition of a little creamy peanut butter adds interest and complexity to an otherwise straightforward cobbler topping.

Triple Berry Shortbread Cobbler (Printable Recipe)

Since my self-control is pathetic around fruit desserts, I adjusted this recipe to serve four and baked it in an 6x6-inch baking dish. If you're looking to feed more, or just want a little more for yourself, doubling the recipe and serving it in a 10- or 12-inch baking dish should work just fine.

Ingredients

Topping
*1 stick butter, melted
*1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, melted
*3/4 cup all-purpose flour
*1/2 cup rolled oats
*1/4 cup granulated sugar
*1/8 tsp. salt
*1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Berry Filling
*2 cups frozen mixed berries (blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries)
*1/4 cup all-purpose flour
*1/4 cup granulated sugar

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 6x6-inch baking dish and set aside.
*In a large bowl, stir together the butter and peanut butter until well-combined. Add in the flour, oats, sugar, salt and ground cinnamon and stir until wet and dry ingredients are evenly mixed. Set aside.
*In a bowl, toss together the berries, (they can be frozen or thawed - mine were frozen when I made this and it turned out great) the flour and the sugar. Pour into the greased baking dish.
*Sprinkle the topping mixture in clumps atop the berries. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the topping is slightly golden and berry mixture is bubbly.
*Remove from the oven and allow to rest at least 10 minutes before serving. Serving with vanilla ice cream is strongly recommended if you have some on hand.

Happy Baking!

Madison

Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler

Working at a magazine devoted to home and family, I think I fit in pretty well. I love my family, dabble in home (er, apartment) decorating and design, and it's no surprise food gets me going. But truth be told, I've never even really had the desire to grow anything, especially when I can run down to the farmer's market on a Saturday morning and return with a bounty of reasonably priced local produce - no weeding required.  That is, until I was home last weekend and developed a hint of longing for a small garden of sorts. Or in the case of my yard at home, just a few healthy rhubarb plants, sprouting like clockwork every year around this time.

I returned to my apartment Monday morning, suitcase and a big bunch of freshly-cut rhubarb in tow, excited about my loot but unsure what I wanted to make. Rhubarb bread was tossed around for a while, followed by the idea of making rhubarb sauce. But since J. tells me his mom makes a fabulous rhubarb sauce and I've never made any, I figured some things are best left untouched. Instead I settled on the classic combo of strawberry and rhubarb in the form of a cobbler.


Cobblers epitomize everything great about fruit desserts; they are sweet, simple, and light enough to eat even during the warmest days of summer. They pair nicely with ice cream and are easily adaptable for whatever fruit is in season. But no matter how great the fruit below may be, the bread and butter of a cobbler lies in the topping.

In my mind a good cobbler topping must be substantial, crispy, sweet and toasty - like eating an oatmeal cookie only to discover an equally delicious fruity delight underneath. This cobbler is best when eaten warm and straight from the oven, or within a day of baking. And if you are lucky enough to have any cobbler left over, it makes a delicious, indulgent breakfast when served alongside a scoop of yogurt and a cup of good, strong coffee.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler
(Printable Recipe)
Ingredients:
Filling
*3 cups rhubarb, chopped
*1 lb. straberries, sliced
*1/2 cup sugar
*1/4 cup all-purpose flour
*1 Tbsp. strawberry gelatin
Topping
*1 cup all-purpose flour
*1/2 cup sugar
*1 cup rolled oats
*1/2 cup chopped pecans
*1 tsp. ground cinnamon
*1/4 tsp. nutmeg
*1/2 tsp. salt
*1 tsp. baking soda
*1 stick of butter, melted
*1 large egg

Instructions:
*Preheat oven to 350*F. Lightly grease a 9- to 10-inch pie plate. Set aside.
*In a large bowl, toss together the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, flour, and strawberry gelatin. Pour the strawberry-rhubarb mixture into the pie plate and spread into an even layer.
*In another bowl, combine the flour, sugar, oats, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda and stir until evenly combined.
*Add the butter and egg to the dry ingredients and stir until dry and wet ingredients are well combined.
*With your fingers, crumble the topping over the fruit. Place the cobbler in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until filling is bubbly and topping is set and slightly golden. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Best is served warm or within one day of baking.

Happy Baking!

Madison