It’s summertime and most areas of the country that have four seasons are enjoying the start of a fresh summer-fruit bounty.  This includes blackberries, blueberries, cherries and peaches in my corner of the world.  I’ve developed a recipe based on an old one I had by reducing the amount of sugar (don’t worry – it’s still plenty sweet) and browning the butter (majestic flavor). It’s embarrassingly easy and people devour it, often scraping the last bits of buttery, fruity goodness from the pan.

It got me thinking about the history of the “cobbler”.  I know to cobble means to piece something together from whatever is available.  I did a little research on this topic to help bolster your historical knowledge of the deliciousness that awaits you.  The good folks at www.whatscookingamerica.net provided this information:

“Early settlers of America were very good at improvising. When they first arrived, they brought their favorite recipes with them, such as English steamed puddings. Not finding their favorite ingredients, they used whatever was available.”

So actually, cobblers were created out of want, not bounty.  Interestingly, I also discovered that cobblers were not originally exclusively dessert food.  They were served as breakfasts, main courses and first courses.  Later on, in the 19th century, they became widely known as desserts.

The recipe follows below, along with tips on technique and photos to lure you into breaking out the bakeware. I hope you enjoy!

Pre-recipe public service announcement on BROWNED BUTTER. Browned butter is a magical ingredient because it is simply ordinary butter that is cooked just long enough to be golden and toasty, but not burned.  If you are patient and cautious, you can learn to make browned butter and have it elevate your recipes to the next level of scrumptiousness.  I use it in Rice Krispie Treats and have employed it in the cobbler recipe below.

 

Blueberry-Peach Brown Butter Cobbler (serves 8)

Prep Time: 15 minutes    Bake: Approximately 22 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Fruit Filling:

2 medium peaches, sliced

1 cup blueberries

½ cup sugar

½ cup water

Batter:

1 cup flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup sugar

1 cup milk (I use 2%)

1 stick butter

 

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place stick of butter in casserole dish or 9×13 pan and place into oven.

Allow butter to melt and brown in oven (approximately 10 minutes).  Keep checking it so that it does not burn.  The browned butter will appear golden and is what gives the cobbler its rich, deep flavor

Place peaches, blueberries, sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer for approximately 5 minutes.

Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and milk together in a bowl until smooth.

After butter has browned, slowly pour batter over the butter in the pan.  Do not stir.  Gently spoon the fruit over the batter, along with about ½ cup of the cooking liquid.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 22 minutes, or until the top is a rich golden brown and batter is set.  If you use a deep dish, it will bake a little longer.  A 9×13 pan will bake for a slightly less time.

Top with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream and dig into summer!

NOTE: You can swap the fruit in this cobbler by using 3 cups of any summer fruit.  You can increase to 3 peaches, omitting blueberries.  You can also sub in blackberries for the blueberries for a Blackberry-Peach cobbler.