Recipe: A cobbler perfect for a seasonal transition
Spices give Asian pears a subtle boost in flavor in this summer-into-fall cobbler. Kathy Morrison
A gift of Asian pears sent me on a search for seasonal recipes. I believed that this orchard fruit, which exists somewhere between apple and standard pear, was always served raw, crunchy. So did most of the recipe writers, apparently. I found many salads that included it -- including an intriguing slaw.
Was there a way to cook this lovely summer-into-fall fruit? The weather was turning cooler -- baking weather! Then I found a New York Times recipe, "Fruit Cobbler with Any Fruit."
I took that title as a challenge, not a statement. The cobbler here is my riff on the recipe, with several adjustments to the filling, and a suggestion for changing up the biscuit topping, too.
It is an excellent dessert (especially with vanilla ice cream), but could make a lovely brunch dish. To test it, I made just a half recipe of the filling, though mixed a full recipe of the biscuits so I could freeze some for another time. The recipe version printed here is the full 8 servings.
A note on the fruit: Asian pears ARE crunchy, right off the tree. Several of mine had just started to soften, however, so I used those first, but included 1 crunchy pear to see how it baked. I tossed in a Bosc pear that was at the use-it-now-or-compost-it-tomorrow stage.
The filling's baked texture was firm but thoroughly cooked, like baking with firm apples. My fruit was small -- see the photo -- so I needed about 9 of them to reach 5 cups.
The original recipe had no spices in it, but I had to include cardamom, which plays so well with pears. Cinnamon and just a hint of ginger went in, too. But use what you like -- almond extract would be another possible addition. Next time I might include some crystallized ginger bits among the pears.
Spiced Asian pear cobbler
Serves 8
Ingredients:
Biscuits:
1-3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (or 1-1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup fine cornmeal)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup buttermilk (or plain yogurt, not Greek)
1/4 cup heavy cream, plus 1 tablespoon, divided
Filling:
10 to 11 cups peeled, cored and sliced Asian pears, or a mix of Asian and Bosc pears
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons minute tapioca OR 1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Turbinado or other crunchy sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions:
Cover a small rimmed baking sheet or large plate with a piece of parchment or waxed paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt. Cut in the cold butter cubes with a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. (Alternatively, combine the dry ingredients in a food processsor, add the butter, and pulse a few times to cut in the butter. )
Drizzle in the buttermilk and 1/4 cup cream, and stir (or pulse) until the mixture is just combined.
Pat the dough together, either in the bowl or on a lightly floured surface. Using a soup spoon or one of similar size, scoop 2-inch mounds of dough and roll them into balls with your hands. Place the balls on the parchment-covered baking sheet or plate, leaving space between them. The recipe will yield about 10 balls.
Flatten the balls with your hand to 3/4-inch thick, cover them with plastic, then place the baking sheet or plate in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes and up to 8 hours. (A quick chill in the freezer works, too, but don't forget they're in there!)
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, toss together the prepared pears, the sugars, spices and the minute tapioca or cornstarch. Allow to sit for 20 minutes -- this hydrates the tapioca pearls.
When ready to bake, pour the fruit (and any accumulated juices) into a large baking dish or 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Top the fruit with the biscuits, leaving space between them to expand. Brush the biscuits with the remaining 1 tablespoon cream, then sprinkle on the turbinado or other crunchy sugar.
Bake until the biscuits are golden brown and you can see bubbling among the fruit, about 1 hour. (About 50 minutes for a 1/2 recipe.) Remove the pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool 30 minutes before serving; the biscuits and fruit will still be warm. Or allow to cool completely and serve later at room temperature.
Note on freezing the extra biscuits for later: I double-wrapped them before freezing. They should bake fine straight from the freezer, though likely will require a few additional minutes.
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Garden Checklist for week of Feb. 2
During this stormy week, let the rain soak in while making plans for all the things you’re going to plant soon:
* During rainy weather, turn off the sprinklers. After a good soaking from winter storms, lawns can go at least a week without sprinklers, according to irrigation experts. For an average California home, that week off from watering can save 800 gallons.
* February serves as a wake-up call to gardeners. This month, you can transplant or direct-seed several flowers, including snapdragon, candytuft, lilies, astilbe, larkspur, Shasta and painted daisies, stocks, bleeding heart and coral bells.
* In the vegetable garden, plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers, and strawberry and rhubarb roots.
* Transplant cabbage and its close cousins – broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts – as well as lettuce (both loose leaf and head).
* Indoors, start peppers, tomatoes and eggplant from seed.
* Plant artichokes, asparagus and horseradish from root divisions.
* Plant potatoes from tubers and onions from sets (small bulbs). The onions will sprout quickly and can be used as green onions in March.
* From seed, plant beets, chard, lettuce, mustard, peas, radishes and turnips.
* Annuals are showing up in nurseries, but wait until the weather warms up a bit before planting. Instead, set out flowering perennials such as columbine and delphinium.
* Plant summer-flowering bulbs including cannas, calla lilies and gladiolus.