Apple Crumble • Everyone’s Mother’s Berry Cobbler
Nectarine-Ginger Crisp • Peach Cobbler with Cream Biscuits • Pear Crisp in a Skillet
Our cobblers, crisps, and crumbles never stick around very long at La Brea Bakery. We sell them by the pound, directly out of the dish or skillet they’re baked in, their juices piping hot and still bubbling. The first customer who spies that hot fruit dessert often ends up buying the entire portion, leaving the next person in line irate and wishing she had arrived sooner. Let’s face it, it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t like the combination of cooked fruit topped with buttery biscuits or crunchy streusel.
There are almost as many names for these American fruit desserts as there are fruits. We argued and tried to reason on our side of the counter, but every cookbook told us something different. Finally, Cook’s Illustrated magazine came to the rescue. From the popular crisps, cobblers, and crumbles to the more offbeat grunts, buckles, and pandowdies, it’s their topping that defines them.
A crisp is only a crisp when topped with butter, sugar, flour, and often nuts. A crumble also has that streusel topping, but with oats instead of nuts. And cobblers are always topped with dough, whether it’s firm enough to roll, as in the Strawberry-Rhubarb; soft enough to drop, as in the Peach; or thin enough to pour, as in Everyone’s Mother’s Berry Cobbler. Always baked in a low, shallow dish or skillet, crisps, cobblers, and crumbles naturally achieve that proper ratio of topping to fruit.
There’s only one way to ruin a cobbler or crisp: bad fruit. Ripe, sweet, and flavorful fruit always guarantees a great result. Cobblers aren’t magical; they can’t revive overripe and moldy fruit or make underripe and out-of-season fruit sweet and juicy before its time. Visit your local farmers’ markets, look for what’s in season, and find the best fruit available. In fall, use cranberries for a crisp and in winter, use apples for a crumble. Peaches and berries are best for summertime, and strawberries and rhubarb for spring. My sugar quantities lean toward the less sweet side, so taste the fruit before it goes in the oven. If it’s not sweet enough, sprinkle in a little more sugar.
Ideally, a perfect crisp or cobbler has lots of thickened sauce with a glossy sheen. Because the water content varies from one tree or bush to the next, it’s hard to predict just how juicy the fruit will be. The riper the fruit, the more juice it gives off. Cornstarch thickens the natural fruit juices into a syrupy, shiny sauce. I’ve tried my best to give the correct measurements for cornstarch, although nature will be nature, so you might need to experiment. In the end, if the cobbler is a little bit runny, it will still be delicious. In the end, if it seems dry, there’s nothing a little cream can’t remedy.
These are my favorite combinations of fruit, but you don’t need my permission to change them. All of the fruits are interchangeable with the different toppings, except for Everyone’s Mother’s Berry Cobbler. I encourage you to experiment—turn a cobbler into a crisp or a crumble into a cobbler. Make the Apple Crumble into a crisp by using the streusel from the Pear Crisp. Turn the Pear Crisp into a cobbler by covering it with biscuits. When you put the topping over the fruit, whether it’s streusel or biscuit, be sure to leave some fruit poking through for color. For even more color, you can always add some berries.
Much less intimidating to make, but just as delicious as a pie, these are the perfect desserts for the not-so-confident baker. There are no pie shells to line or fancy latticework to fret over. Their crustless form and saucy nature make serving predictably easy. For an informal and casual presentation, serve them family style, directly out of the baking dish. Spoon each serving into an oversize soup bowl and pour a few tablespoons of heavy cream around the edge. For fancier fare, bake them in individual ovenproof bowls, one for each guest. No matter how they’re served, these humbler pies are always delicious, homey, and comforting.
BY COMBINING THE APPLES WITH BROWNED BUTTER AND A VANILLA BEAN, WE give this classic American dessert new depth and flavor. If you overmix the butter in the streusel and it clumps, freeze the streusel until firm and grate it—on the largest hole of the grater—directly over the fruit.
Special Item: 6-CUP-CAPACITY BAKING DISH
FOR THE FILLING:
7 to 8 (3 pounds) large, tart green apples such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and cut into ¾-inch cubes, to equal about 6 cups
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 tablespoons (1½ ounces) unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons apple juice or water
FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING:
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons rolled oats
In a large bowl, toss together the apples and sugars. Set aside for an hour until the apples start to break down and just begin to release their juice.
To prepare the topping: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, and cinnamon and pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off or mix on low until it’s the consistency of a coarse meal.
Transfer to a bowl and, using your hands, toss in the oats. Chill until ready to use.
To prepare the filling: In a medium saucepan over high heat, begin to melt the butter. Using a small paring knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise. With the back of the knife, scrape out the pulp and the seeds and add the scrapings and the pod to the butter. Swirl the pan to ensure the butter cooks evenly and doesn’t burn. It will bubble somewhat vigorously as it browns. Continue cooking 3 to 5 more minutes until the bubbles subside and the liquid is dark brown with a nutty, toasty aroma. Remove the vanilla bean. Pour the butter and brown flecks over the apples, tossing to combine.
Adjust the oven rack to the upper position and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with the apple juice or water, mixing well to remove the lumps. Place a strainer over the bowl of apples and strain the cornstarch liquid onto the apples. Toss together and transfer to the baking dish.
Crumble the topping over the apples, squeezing it together in your fist to create a coarse, uneven, lumpy texture.
Place the dish on a baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes, until the juices are bubbling. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees and bake for another 50 to 55 minutes, until the top is nicely browned and the juices are caramelized.
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
THE FIRST TIME I EVER HAD A BATTER COBBLER WAS WHEN A FELLOW LOS Angeles pastry chef, my friend Lorraine, made one based on her mother’s recipe. Years later Cook’s Illustrated magazine ran a similar version based on a recipe by Natalie Dupree. This recipe is so fast and simple, it takes longer to preheat the oven than to actually make the cobbler.
Not really a cake, not really a biscuit, this soft and buttery cobbler is golden brown and crisp around the edges, pitted with tender, cooked fruit. The amount of sugar you add depends on the sweetness of your berries, so taste them first. Serve hot, in the middle of the table, and hand everyone a spoon.
Special Item: 6- TO 8-CUP-CAPACITY OVAL GRATIN DISH, 12 × 8 INCHES, OR A 10-INCH SKILLET
½ stick (2 ounces) unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean
1 cup unbleached pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ cup granulated sugar, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons extra for sprinkling
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¾ pound (1½ to 2 cups) blueberries, blackberries, boysenberries, sliced strawberries, or a combination of all
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, begin to melt the butter. Using a small paring knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise and with the back of the knife, scrape out the pulp and the seeds and add the scrapings and the pod to the butter. Swirl the pan to ensure the butter cooks evenly and doesn’t burn. It will bubble somewhat vigorously as it browns. Continue cooking another 3 to 5 minutes until the bubbles subside and the liquid is dark brown with a nutty, toasty aroma. Remove the vanilla bean. Pour the butter and brown flecks into the baking dish and set aside.
In a large bowl, sift to combine the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk and vanilla extract, whisking the liquids to combine. Slowly draw in the dry ingredients, and mix until incorporated.
Over a large bowl, strain the batter through a fine-mesh sieve. Pour the batter into the baking dish.
Evenly distribute the fruit over the batter and sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar over the top.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the juices are bubbling and the top is evenly browned.
Yield: 6 servings
Special Item: 8- TO 9-CUP-CAPACITY BAKING DISH
FOR THE FILLING:
7 nectarines (3 pounds), pitted, cut into eighths and cut in half diagonally to equal 8 cups
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 heaping cup fresh raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries
2 tablespoons candied ginger, finely chopped
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
¼ cup crème fraîche
FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING:
1¼ cups unbleached pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ stick plus 1 tablespoon (2½ ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Adjust the oven rack to the upper position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl, toss together the nectarines and sugar and set aside for 30 minutes, until the fruit has released its juices.
To prepare the topping: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder and pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off, or mix on low, until it’s the consistency of a coarse meal.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the egg and toss together with your hands until combined. Chill until ready to use.
To prepare the filling: Over a small bowl, strain and reserve the juices from the nectarines. Transfer the nectarines to a baking dish. Add the cornstarch to the nectarine juice, whisking well to remove the lumps, and stir in the vanilla extract and crème fraîche. Hold a fine-mesh sieve above the fruit and strain the cornstarch liquid into the fruit, tossing to combine. Evenly distribute the berries and ginger throughout. Crumble the topping over the fruit, squeezing it in your fist to create a coarse, uneven texture.
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown and crisp.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
TO COOK THE PEACHES PROPERLY IT IS IMPORTANT NOT TO OVERCROWD THEM in the pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you can divide the peaches and other ingredients more or less equally into 2 or 3 batches.
Special Item: 8- TO 9-CUP-CAPACITY OR 12 × 8-INCH BAKING DISH
FOR THE COMPOTE:
¼ cup water
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean
7 to 8 (3½ pounds) peaches, pitted, cut into eighths, and cut in half diagonally, to equal about 9 cups
6 to 8 gratings of fresh whole nutmeg
½ cup brandy
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 heaping cup fresh whole boysenberries, blackberries, raspberries, or blueberries
FOR THE BISCUITS:
1⅔ cups unbleached pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
2¼ teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1¼ cups heavy cream
FOR GARNISHING:
1 tablespoon heavy cream
fresh whole nutmeg
¼ cup sliced almonds
1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Powdered sugar
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
To prepare the compote: In a large heavy-duty skillet, stir together the water and sugar. Using a small paring knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise. With the back of the knife, scrape out the pulp and the seeds, and add the scrapings and the pod to the sugar mixture. Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil without stirring. Using a pastry brush dipped in water, brush down the sides of the pan to remove any undissolved sugar granules. When the sugar begins to color, after about 3 to 4 minutes, tilt and swirl the pan to cook evenly. When the mixture reaches an even medium caramel color, remove from the heat.
Add the peaches and a few gratings of the nutmeg, tossing to coat. The mixture may spatter and the sugar may seize and harden. Remove from the heat, add the brandy, and return it to the heat. Tilt the pan slightly toward the flame to ignite the brandy, letting it burn until the flames die down and most of the sugar melts, about a minute.
Place a large strainer over a bowl and pour in the fruit, straining the liquid into the bowl. Remove the vanilla bean and transfer the peaches to the baking dish.
In a small saucepan, stir together the reserved liquid and cornstarch. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Pour the thickened juice over the peaches and scatter the berries evenly throughout.
To make the biscuits: In a large bowl, sift to combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour on the cream. Using one hand, draw in the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Wash and dry your hands and dust them with flour. Pick up 3 to 4 tablespoons of the dough, gently stretch it to ½-inch thickness, and place it on top of the peaches. Continue with the rest of the dough, making an uneven scattering of stretched biscuit over the fruit, leaving some of the peaches poking through.
Brush the dough with the tablespoon of cream and grate a few gratings of nutmeg over. Arrange the sliced almonds in a single layer on the dough and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour, until the biscuits are lightly browned and the liquid is bubbling. Cool for 5 minutes and sift a fine layer of powdered sugar over the top.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
ALL OF US HAVE OUR DEEP DARK SECRETS, THOSE SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET we don’t want anyone to discover. I have mine too. When I want a poached pear, I use canned organic pears. There’s nothing to be ashamed of, they’re just ripe Bartlett pears in a sugar syrup. Unlike other fruits, pears are more unpredictable and temperamental; it’s hard to find them at the perfect stage of ripeness for poaching. Because pears ripen unevenly from the inside out, it’s hard to tell how ripe they really are. Most often, they’re hard and mealy on the outer section and mushy and overripe toward the center. For those of you who can’t bear to open a can, skip this recipe and make the Pretty Pear Cookies instead, with plenty of thinly sliced fresh pears piled on top.
Special Item: 10- OR 12-INCH SKILLET
FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING:
Heaping ½ cup (2 ounces) pecans
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ cup unbleached pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
3½ tablespoons (1¾ ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
½ extra-large egg, beaten, to equal 2 tablespoons
FOR THE FILLING:
16 canned pear halves in heavy syrup, drained with syrup reserved, sliced in half horizontally, and cut into uneven 1-inch chunks to equal 4 heaping cups
1½ cups reserved pear syrup
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar, lightly packed
½ stick (2 ounces) unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean
5 star anise
¼ cup dried cranberries, optional
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
To prepare the topping: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, grind the pecans and sugars to a fine meal. Add the salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and flour, and process to combine. Add the butter and pulse on and off until it’s the consistency of a coarse meal.
Transfer to a bowl. Add the measured egg and toss together to incorporate. Chill until ready to use.
To prepare the filling: In a small bowl, whisk together the pear syrup, cornstarch, and sugars.
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, begin to melt the butter. Using a small paring knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise and with the back of the knife, scrape out the pulp and the seeds and add the scrapings and the pod to the butter. Add the cinnamon sticks and star anise. Swirl the pan to ensure the butter cooks evenly and doesn’t burn. It will bubble somewhat vigorously as it browns. Continue cooking 3 to 5 more minutes until the bubbles subside and the butter is dark brown with a nutty, toasty aroma. Remove the vanilla bean.
Add the pears to the butter mixture, tossing to coat. Strain the syrup onto the pears and cook over high heat for about 10 minutes, until slightly thickened, making sure the pears stay intact and are not mushy. Stir in the cranberries, if desired. If the stovetop heat is weak and not rigorous enough to reduce the liquid quickly, strain the liquid so the fruit doesn’t overcook. Set the fruit aside and return the liquid to the skillet to reduce until thickened. Turn off the heat and return the fruit to the skillet.
Crumble the topping over the fruit, squeezing it together in your fist to create a coarse, uneven texture. Leave a 1½-inch border of fruit around the perimeter.
Bake for about 20 minutes, until the juices are bubbling and the topping is nicely browned.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
IN THIS OLD-FASHIONED COBBLER, BROWN BUTTER BISCUITS PAVE THE WAY TO the sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb compote inside. Done in the style of James Beard’s shortcakes with cooked egg yolks, these biscuits stand up best to the juiciness of the strawberries. While a softer biscuit would become soggy, mine, though buttery and tender, remains crisp and firm.
Special Items: 6-CUP-CAPACITY OR 8 × 4 × 2-INCH OVAL BAKING DISH
2½-INCH ROUND CUTTER
FOR THE BISCUITS:
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean
1¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
¼ cup white cornmeal, plus extra for dusting the tops of the biscuits
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 extra-large eggs, hard-boiled
½ cup heavy cream, plus 2 tablespoons extra for brushing the tops of the biscuits
FOR THE COMPOTE:
1 pound rhubarb, dark red and firm
2 tablespoons water
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean
1 cinnamon stick
3 to 4 gratings nutmeg
2 black peppercorns, crushed
¼ cup dry white wine
1 pound strawberries, cut into ¼-inch slices to equal 2½ cups
To prepare the biscuits: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, begin to melt the butter. Using a small paring knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise. With the back of the knife, scrape out the pulp and the seeds and add the scrapings and the pod to the butter. Swirl the pan to ensure the butter cooks evenly and doesn’t burn. It will bubble somewhat vigorously as it browns. Continue cooking 3 to 5 more minutes until the bubbles subside and the liquid is dark brown with a nutty, toasty aroma. Transfer to a bowl, remove the vanilla bean, and chill the butter and dark flecks until firm, about 1 hour.
To prepare the compote: Cut the stalks of rhubarb into 3-inch lengths and cut each piece into thirds or fourths, about the size of a pencil. Set aside.
In a large, heavy-duty deep skillet, stir together the water and sugar. Using a small paring knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise. With the back of the knife, scrape out the pulp and the seeds and add the scrapings and the pod to the sugar mixture. Add the cinnamon stick, nutmeg, and peppercorns. Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil without stirring. Using a pastry brush dipped in water, brush down the sides of the pan to remove any undissolved sugar granules. When the sugar begins to color, after 3 to 4 minutes, begin to tilt and swirl the pan to cook evenly. When the mixture reaches an even medium caramel color, remove from the heat.
Add the rhubarb, tossing to coat. The mixture may spatter and the sugar may seize and harden. Remove from the heat, pour in the wine and continue to cook over high heat until the rhubarb is tender and just begins to break down, about 10 to 15 minutes. The fruit should remain intact and still have texture. Remove from the heat, stir in the strawberries, and transfer the fruit to the baking dish to cool. Remove the vanilla bean and cinnamon stick.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Separate and discard the whites of the eggs. Push the egg yolks through a fine-mesh sieve, scraping the yolks off the bottom of the sieve and into the flour mixture. Pulse on and off a few times or mix on low to combine. Cut up the chilled browned butter into ½-inch cubes. Add to the egg mixture, and pulse on and off a few times or mix on low until it’s the consistency of a fine meal.
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl, make a well in the center, and pour in the cream. Using one hand, gently draw in the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Wash and dry your hands and dust them with flour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times to gather it into a ball. Roll or pat the dough to ½-inch thickness. Cutting as closely together as possible, cut out 6 biscuits. Place them on top of the fruit in a ring shape, with the edges just touching, keeping the biscuits at least 1 inch away from the edge of the baking dish. Brush the tops of the biscuits with cream and sprinkle with a pinch of cornmeal and sugar.
Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for about 25 minutes, until the biscuits are nicely browned and the fruit is bubbly.
Yield: 6 servings