The Dish on Cobbler

Although Southern cooks are masterful when it comes to making cobblers, no country or region can claim cobbler as its own. In fact, Cooking A to Z(edited by Jane Horn) says cobbler, and its cousins grunt, slump, buckle, roly-poly, flummery, and pandowdy-are all old-fashioned regional desserts of cooked fruit with a biscuit, dough, or bread topping of some type. Once considered too common to serve to guests, cobbler has been rediscovered for its pure honesty and simplicity.

How to Make Cobbler

• The variety of cooking cobblers comes not only from using different fruits, but also from how the crust is made-from traditional piecrust or biscuit dough to pourable batters. No matter what style of cobbler you make, here are a few simple tips to keep in mind:
• Choose ripe, juicy fruits and berries. (When out of season, unsweetened frozen or canned fruits and berries may be substituted.)
• Add sugar to taste. Most recipes make a moderately sweet cobbler, but you can always add sugar to taste depending on personal preference and sweetness of fruit.
• Serve warm. Cobblers are especially delicious when topped with ice cream, heavy cream, or whipped cream.

Using Canned Fruits in Cobbler

• When you are in the mood for a cobbler when no fresh fruit is in season, canned fruit is a good option. Water-packed fruits and canned pie fillings are the best choices for quick cobblers. Be sure to drain water-packed fruits unless the recipe calls for water. If so, drain the juice into a measuring cup and add enough water to make the amount called for in the recipe.