Cobblers, Crisps & Pies
When ripe summer fruits are baked, the result is sweet syrup that makes the most of their aromatic juiciness. Adding some crust and other ingredients to baked fruits results in a cobbler, crisp, or pie — delicious homespun desserts. All three of these dishes can be made with summer or winter fruits. No matter what the season, they’re a classic dessert that adds a touch of homey comfort to the end of any meal.
Classic cobblers and crisps are easier, faster versions of pie and may be welcome alternatives on swelteringly summer days — although a summer pie can be made early in the morning before it’s too hot in the kitchen. And it's especially nice when the weather is warm to have ice cream or sorbet to add a frosty finish to your sweet summer treats.
Cobblers and Slumps
A cobbler usually consists of a fruit filling poured into a large baking dish and covered with rolled pastry dough, then baked. Varieties of cobbler include the Betty, the slump, and the buckle. Cobblers most commonly come in single fruit varieties and are named accordingly: apple, peach, or cherry cobbler. The terrific idea of topping the fruit cobbler with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream w seems to have originated in the southern United States.
A slump is a simple steamed pudding, somewhat akin to a cobbler, that uses whatever fruit you have on hand. A slump is usually cooked on the top of the stove; first you heat the fruit, then you top it with dumplings and simmer the slump to perfection. This is a perfect dessert to make on a hot day, as you will not need to turn on your oven. The amount of sugar needed in the fruit filling will vary depending on the sweetness of the fruit. It is important to choose a pot with a tight-fitting lid, so the dumplings will cook through.
RECIPES:
Stone Fruit Slump
A slump is a simple steamed pudding, somewhat akin to a cobbler, that uses whatever fruit you have on hand. This is a perfect dessert to make on a hot day, as you will not need to turn on your oven.
Cornmeal Cake with Strawberries
Its tender, golden crumb makes this cake a good foundation for a sort of unstructured strawberry shortcake. Serve it in wedges with a puddle of juicy crushed berries and soft whipped cream. In summer, enjoy it with blackberries, raspberries, peaches or a combination of ripe fruits from the farmer's market.
Cherry Pudding
Close kin to cobbler, and also to cake, this cherry pudding takes very little effort, and it transforms pantry staples into a warm, fragrant fruit dessert.
Crisps
A crisp is a dessert consisting of baked fruit (the classic choice is apples) topped with a crispy crust, unlike the cobbler's more biscuit-like top layer. The ingredients for the crumbly crisp topping are usually butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon and sometimes oats, ginger, brown sugar and nutmeg.
RECIPES:
Peach and Blackberry Hazelnut Crisp
Peaches and blackberries are natural flavor partners; fortunately they come into season at the same time (late summer). If you like fruit crisps especially juicy, reduce the flour in the fruit mixture to just a few tablespoons. Leave the skins on the peaches because they add fiber and flavor; they can be peeled if you prefer.
Mango Macadamia Crisp
Macadamia orchards grace the island of Hawaii. Soft, sweet mangoes are a lovely surprise under this faintly familiar topping.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pies
This baked dessert finishes off any meal, in any season, with just the right mixture of taste and texture. Sweet and crunchy, nutty and fruity — so many delicious possibilities. Fruit pies are usually made as "filled" — where a pie dish is covered in pastry, the fruit placed on top of that, with a top crust covering both. Pies can be a variety of sizes, ranging from bite-size to ones designed for multiple servings at family meals. They are often served with ice cream, fresh cream or milk — making them even more enticing.
Pies can be served hot (especially nice with ice cream) or cool. They are the perfect summer picnic accessories. All pies start with the pastry, so you want to make sure you have a favorite sure-fire crust you can rely on. If you don't have your own favorite crust recipe, try this all-purpose crust that can be used for any pie.
And if you're looking for something a little special to put in your crust, check out this apple pie developed by a former pastry chef at Flea St. Café — it provides a twist on the classic combination of cheddar cheese and apples.
RECIPES:
Apple Asiago Pie
This recipe, developed by a former pastry chef at Flea St. Café, is a twist on the classic combination of cheddar cheese and apples.
Gingered Butternut Pie in Walnut Cereal Crust
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
More Delicious RECIPES:
Click here for more delicious pie recipes everything from butterscotch to tofu.
