In an effort to encourage Maya to learn more about cooking, we're asking her to prepare one recipe a week for the family. The recipe is of her choosing, so of course she started out with dessert, Nectarine and Blueberry Cobbler with Big Fluffy Biscuits from
Ripe for Dessert: 100 Outstanding Desserts With Fruit. I gave this book to Trevor as a gift a few years ago, and it's full of delectable fruity treats.
This wasn't Maya's first time baking, but it was her first time making a cobbler. It turned out beautifully. We finished it all in less than a day. We had it for dessert and the next day for breakfast.
It was absolutely perfect with vanilla bean ice cream.
Here's a quick Q&A with Maya about her experience.
1. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being scrambled eggs and 10 being a souffle, how would you rate the ease of this recipe?
It was like, really really easy. Like a 3 or 4. All I did was mix stuff together.
2. What made you choose this recipe?
It sounded good and it looked easy.
3. Do you think you'll make it again?
Yes
4. What the most difficult part of making this cobbler?
Waiting for it to cook. It had to bake for an hour total.
5. Where there any new cooking techniques that you learned?
I've never grated frozen butter. You couldn't melt it. You had to grate it. It was gross holding it in my hand.
6. What are you thinking about making next?
I haven't decided yet, but probably another dessert. Baking is my specialty.
If you'd like to make this yourself, here is the recipe. The author notes that it is relatively low in fat due to the use of buttermilk and not so much butter in the biscuits.
Nectarine and Blueberry Cobbler with Big Fluffy Biscuits
Fruit Filling:
7 medium or 9 small nectarines (about 3 pounds)
6 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
One 6-ounce basket of blueberries
The Biscuits:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar plus more for sprinkling
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, frozen
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon milk
1. Position the oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees
2.
To make the fruit filling: Cut the nectarines in half, remove the pits, and cut the fruit into 1/2 inch slices. In a large, deep mixing bowl, toss the nectarines together with the sugar, lemon juice, flour, vanilla and blueberries.
3. Transfer the fruit mixture to a 2 quart baking dish and bake in the oven for 40 minutes, stirring once during baking. (I recommend putting a layer of aluminum foil on the rack under the baking dish to catch any juices that may bubble over.) Remove the baking dish from the oven.
4.
To make the biscuits: Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Using the largest holes on a box grater, grate the frozen butter into the flour mixture. Stir in the buttermilk until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Spoon the biscuit batter over the nectarines in 6 roughly equal mounds.
5. Mix the egg yolk with the milk and dab the top of each mound liberally with the egg wash. Sprinkle with a nice dusting of sugar and pop the cobbler back into the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until the biscuits are browned.
Serving: Serve the cobbler warm with vanilla ice cream or a pitcher of very cold heavy cream.
Variations: Substitute peaches for nectarines (but be sure to peel them). Substitute a 6 ounce basket of raspberries or blackberries for the blueberries or 1 1/2 cups of pitted cherries.
