I love my dutch oven, it was the first gift M gave me for Christmas. I have a few pieces now for different purposes and I treat them like they were my kids. And though they’re heavy (my mom’s biggest complaint when she visits me), they’re resilient and a great piece to own. Heat transfers evenly, food cooks great, the heavy lids allow condensation of the steam from the food which helps to cook the food well. From braising meat, to stews to desserts, a lot can be done with this beast. This new 6.5 oval dutch oven from Williams-Sonoma’s
new signature collection is not only goregous but also did an excellent job of cooking the cobbler. The cherries cook in their own liquid and hold their texture without falling apart and getting mushy.
One of the recipes, I’ve picked up from M’s mom is her berry cobbler. It’s a no fuss dessert, minimal effort and it bursts with flavors from fresh fruits. It’s one of those dishes that does fruits justice when cooked (I have mixed feelings about cooked fruit desserts, my relationship status with this one is Complicated!).
Two weekends ago, we went cherry picking at a farm in Stockton, CA. After semi-climbing a tree and picking fruit, we ended up with some 17 or 20lbs of cherries (not to mention the stuff we ate while picking). So I needed to use up all that fruit, some we pitted and froze, others were puréed and stored. Basically, we have a whole lot of cherry stuff going on in this house. It’s a short season, so I plan to eat as much and do as much as I can with it.
The crust is pretty easy, I add grated butter to the flours and a little bit of rosemary (optional). Some people like the flavor and texture of rosemary in desserts while other’s don’t, use your judgement here.
Here are some of my kitchen tips that you might find useful when preparing this cobbler,
- I use a large amount of fresh pitted cherries. If cherries are hard to find, you can try frozen.
- The rosemary in the crust is optional. I like the flavor it gives to the crust and it also goes well with the cherry flavor.
- I use dried elderberries here which have a very different flavor than elderflowers. A little bit goes a long way here.
- If you can’t find honey powder use sugar. Taste the filling and adjust sweetness if necessary. Remember the flavors will concentrate and thicken in the oven as the cobbler cooks.
cherry and elderberry cobbler with buckwheat and quinoa crust
yields : 4 to 8 servings
ingredients
1.2 kg/2.5lbs pitted cherries (I used bing cherries)
2 cups tart cherry juice
2 tablespoons honey powder
2 tablespoons kirsch (optional)
1 tablespoon dried elderberries, ground
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon tap water
226gm buckwheat flour
90 gm quinoa flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 teaspoon rosemary leaves (fresh/dried) – chopped or whole
4 tablespoons grated butter
3/4 cup whole milk
1. Place a wire rack at midlevel in the oven. Preheat to 350F.
2. Take a medium sized dutch oven (I used a 6.5 quart dutch oven). Place all the ingredients from the cherries to the ground elderberries. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and tap water and fold this into the cherry mixture in the dutch oven. Keep aside.
3. To prepare the crust topping, sift the buckwheat flour, quinoa flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt over a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the rosemary, butter, and milk and stir with a large fork to mix completely. The dough will resemble a sticky mass. Level the cherries in the dutch oven with a large wooden spoon, then place scoops of the dough over the cherries and distribute across the surface evenly. Place in the oven and bake with lid for about 40 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken. Carefully, remove the hot lid from the dutch oven and return the uncovered dutch oven back to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes until the crust is a light golden brown. Remove from oven allow to cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes before serving. To serve, scoop the cobbler with the filling and some crust and sprinkle a little sparkling sugar or serve with creme fraîche.
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Williams-Sonoma however, all opinions expressed are solely my own.
