Blueberry-peach cobbler with sugar cookie crust

Blueberry-peach cobbler with sugar cookie crust

So this is kinda fun: this post represents my first time participating in the Secret Recipe Club.

Here's how it works: each month I am assigned another member's blog (a different one each month). I then pick any recipe from that blogger's site, make it and write about it here. There's also a link hop at the end of the post so that I (and you) can check out all the other participating blogs.

Neat idea, right? I'm excited to see who got the Ninj and what s/he decided to make!

This month I got to check out the offerings from Jenn at A Cook's Quest. She has lots of great recipes, especially if you are cooking on a budget. But of course I knew which recipe I'd choose when I came across her sugar cookie crust for fruit cobbler.

Or cobblah, if you're a New Englandah.

I'm a big fan of cobbler but have only ever made it with a thick, biscuity topping, so this seemed like a nice alternative. Because who could possibly not like fruity filling topped with cookies?

Exactly.

Thanks to Jenn, I was not disappointed. (And neither was Mr. Ninj, given the gusto with which he polished off most of the pan.) The crust is definitely sweet and cookie-like,  although not too crispy: a really lovely dessert.

(Although with this crust, you can't really scam and eat cobbler for breakfast, as you can with the biscuity-style topping. Well, unless you are me, that is.)

Can you spot my sous chef, hard at work?

You'll want to spread the batter a little bit with your fingers to cover all the fruit

While Jenn provided a great crust recipe, she left the filling choices and prep up to the reader, so I based mine loosely on guidance from The Joy of Cooking, using the gorgeous blueberries and peaches that are in season right now. But I also see this working nicely with apples and pears, as an alternative to my favorite crumble.  

Let the cobbler cool for a while before serving, so it retains its shape better

Maybe with a few boozy cherries thrown in? Oh my GAWD: that would be wicked!

As always, if you give this recipe a try, let me know how it turns out for you.

I'm already looking forward to next month's SRC assignment!

Blueberry-Peach Cobblah with Sugar Cookie Crust (adapted from A Cook's Quest)

Note: This recipe yields enough batter for a fairly thin layer of crust. If you prefer a heftier crust, you might want to try making 1.5x the amount, but be advised that you will need to adjust your cooking time as well.

Ingredients:
4 large peaches (approximately 2 pounds), pitted, peeled and sliced
2 cups blueberries
2 tablespoons sugar
14 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

For the filling, combine the first three ingredients in a large bowl, toss to coat and spoon into a baking dish (mine was 9" x 9" but this makes enough to fill roughly any 2-quart capacity deep dish).

For the crust topping, cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until just combined.  Drop the batter by large spoonfuls on top of the fruit mixture. Gently use your fingers to spread it out so that the entire surface is covered.

Bake for 20 minutes and then increase the oven temperature to 375 without removing the dish from the oven. Bake for about another 20-25 minutes until the crust is golden (but start checking for doneness after about 15 minutes). Let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.