Here Is To New Neighbors and Cobblers!

Can we talk about neighbors?  

The Captain and I are so blessed as we have the most wonderful neighbors!  And a few months ago,  we gained yet another wonderful couple!  They were/are from the Chicago area and they have just fit right into our little group. 

I only had my IPhone with me and I must have been pre-occupied with the great conversations as I took only 2 pics and consequently 5 others, 4 men and 1 woman are not in the pics. 🙁  (Next time, I promise to be better at getting all the group in the pics)

Our new neighbors hosted an evening of great food and conversation and when the dessert was served….we found ourselves devouring both a peach cobbler and a blueberry cobbler!

I mean, who isn’t happy with that combination?

I mean, who isn’t happy with cobblers period? 

Cobblers are so easy to make and taste soooooo good….and any kind of fruit works in a cobbler.

Have you ever wondered about the history of cobblers?

Well, I did a little research and cobblers are called by many names: such as pandowdy, grunt, slump, buckles, crisp, and Brown Betty. The connection is they are all based on seasonal fruits and berries, or whatever fresh ingredients are readily at hand. They are all homemade. They are simple to make.  AND they rely more on good taste than fancy pastry preparation.

Early settlers of America were very good at improvising. When they first arrived, they bought their favorite recipes with them, such as English steamed puddings. Not finding their favorite ingredients, they used whatever was available. That’s how all these traditional American dishes came about with such unusual names. Many times the early colonists served these juicy fruit dishes as the main course.  Or for breakfast, or even as a first course. It was not until the late 19th century that they became primarily desserts.

Below are a few definitions of various “cobblers”.

• Cobbler –  Cobblers are an American deep-dish fruit dessert with a thick crust (usually a biscuit crust) and a fruit filling (such as peaches, apples, berries). Some versions are enclosed in the crust, while others have a drop-biscuit or crumb topping.
• Crisps/Crumbles – these are baked with the fruit mixture on the bottom with a crumb topping which can be made with flour, nuts etc.
• Brown Betty – a Betty consists of a fruit, such as apples…baked between layers of buttered crumbs. During Colonial times, a Betty was considered a baked pudding.
• Slumps and Grunts – the name sounds more like someone getting out of bed, however, ….these fruit goodies were more like the English Steamed Puddings….but again the Colonists in New England didn’t have all the fancy bakeware so the cobbler/dumpling like fruit was usually cooked on top of the stove. The name came from the sounds of the fruit “popping” while cooking.
• Buckle or Crumble – is more like a cake made with a layer of berries, usually blueberries and then topped with something similar to a Streusel which gives the appearance of a buckled or crumpled topping.
• Pandowdy – is made in a deep dish with varieties of fruit, but namely apples…and a topping of a crumbly type of biscuit which is pushed down and broken up during baking.  The name most likely comes from it’s plain or dowdy appearance.

So whatever you call your dessert….it is most likely based on a cobbler.

I have been making a lot of strawberry dishes of late, because the strawberries are simply wonderful.  Sooooo I made a strawberry/cranberry cobbler and I wanted to share the recipe below with you.

I did use flour, sugar etc…but if you prefer the mix, Bisquick…please feel free to substitute.  It will make the cobbler even easier to toss together. 

So, no matter what you call your baked fruit and pastry…..just grab that fruit and make it…. and your family will love you for it.

AND…your neighbors will love you too…if you make it and take it over to them or have them over for dinner and make a cobbler for dessert…OR, well, you get the idea!

Here is a toast to our new neighbors…thanks Officers…now you didn’t think I would break rank and give you their real names did you?  🙂

Have you made a cobbler lately?  Please share your fruit of choice.

Enjoy the Day and Blessings to all.

Berry Cobbler

2016-04-26 07:12:01

One Skillet baking...and this recipe is sooooo easy. AND you could always use a pre made mix such as Bisquick! Cobblers are just yummy!

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Ingredients

1. 1 stick of butter
2. 1 1/2 cups of sugar
3. 1 cup of self rising flour
4. 1 cup of milk
5. 1 qt of Strawberries, sliced
6. 1 cup of cranberries (fresh or frozen)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees.
2. I use a cast iron skillet ...and I melt the butter in the skillet.
3. Mix the flour, sugar, and milk in a small bowl, stirring until the batter is free of lumps.
4. Pour the batter in the skillet and then add the Strawberries and cranberries to the top. (Do not stir the berries into the batter....Once in the oven the crust rises to the top in and around the strawberries as the cobbler bakes).
5. Bake for about 45 minutes or until a nice golden brown
6. Serve as is or add vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Notes

1. This recipe can be adapted to any fruit...blueberries, raspberries, blackberries....peaches, pears, apricots...the sky is the limit.

Me and My Captain https://meandmycaptain.com/