Easy Fruit Cobbler

From Tim Hall…..a true southern gentleman from New Orleans!

Believe me when I tell you that this is a quick and easy recipe that will delight your guests. I’ll give you two versions of it and expand your fruit cobbler universe by the number of fresh fruits you care to try. This was the first dessert we used in the catering business and it was always popular. It expands easily. If memory serves me, the last time we made it in the catering business we did so for 100 people. Take that cue to mean that it expands easily. When making it at the house I always use a deep ten-inch cast iron skillet, otherwise known as a chicken fryer.

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 large can sliced yellow cling peaches or any fruit you wish
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 cup milk

Prep time: 15 min.  Cook time 45 min.  Yield: 10 servings

Preheat the oven to 375º F. Melt the butter in the skillet and swirl it around to coat the sides. You’ll be glad you did when you start to clean up the skillet! Add the peaches with their juice and warm them up while you are mixing the batter. Whisk the flour, sugar and baking powder together and add the milk. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.  Pour the batter in the middle of the melted butter and peaches and bake for 45 minutes.  When done the batter will have risen to the top and will be a nice toasty golden brown. It is cake-y in texture. Serve hot with ice cream  and enjoy the accolades.

To use fresh fruit (I’ve used Door County cherries, blackberries, raspberries, apples, plums and peaches to name a few) just make a simple syrup with 1/3 cup sugar and ¾ cup water. Heat the water to dissolve the sugar. Add 3 cups of the fresh fruit and warm the fruit for about ten minutes. (You can even use a frozen berry mix that is available at most grocery stores as well. Treat it the same as you do fresh fruit.) To make the cobbler use this mixture in place of the large can of prepared fruit. Have some fun and experiment with this recipe.

The “Main Dish’s” Irish Brown Bread

• 1 ¾ c. whole wheat flour
• 1 ¾ c. all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 -5 T mixed seeds, such as sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, chia, golden flax, etc.
• 2 T. butter, softened
• 1 egg
• About 1 2/3 c buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Mix the flours, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl and mix in the seeds. Add the butter and rub into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles bread crumbs.  Make a well in the center.  In another bowl, whisk the egg with the buttermilk and pour most of the liquid in to the flour mixtures.  Using one hand bring the flour and liquid together, adding more of the buttermilk, if necessary.  The dough should be quite soft, but not too sticky.

Turn onto a floured surface and gently bring the dough together into a round about 1 ½ inches thick.  Cut a deep cross on top and place on a baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes.  Turn down the heat to 400 degrees F and bake for 30 minutes more.  When done, the loaf will sound slightly hollow when tapped on the bottom.  Remove from the baking sheet and place on a wire rack to cool.