Aspiring Elephant

What is a Cobbler?

Cobblers are desserts consisting of a fruit base layer, topped with a streusel-like batter topping then baked. My cobblers certainly aren’t the norm, as they are kind of a cobbler/crumble hybrid. However, they are flat out delicious. Cobblers are one of my favorite desserts to make, for many reasons. They are super simple, you can literally add just about anything you can imagine to them, and lastly, they are so so good.

What type of fruit should be used?

One of the great things about cobblers is their versatility. You can add any type of fruit as the base layer. Some of my favorites include Apple Cobblers, Peach Cobblers, and a mixture of one of more fruits like strawberry and blueberry. The type of fruit will also determine how they are prepared and what will need to be added. For example, if I am making an apple cobbler, I usually like to sauté the apples first. For fruits like strawberry and blueberry, they don’t necessarily need to be pre-cooked (although you can!). The following dish was prepared with a mixture of strawberries and blueberries, and I actually did sauté them first.

Cobblers vs. Crisps vs. Crumbles

The distinction between cobblers, crisps, and crumbles can be somewhat tricky. All three have a lot of similarities being they are all flour and butter based toppings, but there are a couple key differences.

-Crisps usually contain oats mixed with a streusel-like topping.

-Cobblers usually contain egg and milk or buttermilk and tend to have more of a biscuit or cake-like batter consistency.

-Crumbles, like crisps also have a streusel-like mixture, but lack the oats and egg.

I made sure to include the word “usually” because there are so many variations of these dishes that it’s tough to say for sure what the ideal ingredients are. However, I am going by what is traditionally used to prepare each. Like I mentioned, my recipe for cobbler is somewhat of a hybrid between crumbles and cobblers. They contain all of the ingredients for traditional cobblers, but they have more of a crumble or streusel-like consistency.

What should I bake cobbler in?

Well, the title of this article is How to Make The BEST Skillet Cobbler, so naturally, I am going to emphasize the use of an oven safe skillet. I love cast iron skillets and I think they are one of the most useful pieces of cookware. You can pick one up on Amazon for under $20 and it will literally last you a lifetime (if you take care of it). Of course, me and my bougie taste, I prefer the Le Creuset 10 1/4” skillet. I use that thing all of the time.

Ingredients

For the fruit layer

• 1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp vanilla paste (or extract)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/3 cup sugar

For the cobbler topping

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 tsp salt

How to Make Skillet Cobbler

Let’s start with the fruit. To pre-cook or not to pre-cook. When it comes to softer fruits like strawberries and blueberries, pre-cooking prior to baking is definitely not necessary. But sometimes I do like sauté them for 8 minutes or so, as it gives the whole dish more of a pie-like feel.

Rinse 1 1/2 cups of blueberries and place in skillet. Rinse 1 1/2 cups of strawberries, then cut off the tops, then cut into 1/4” slices before also placing in skillet. Place the skillet over low heat and add 1 tbsp of lemon juice and a pinch of lemon zest. Add in 1/2 tsp of vanilla paste, 1/3 cup of granulated sugar (you can also use less if you prefer), and 2 tbsp of all purpose flour. The flour is going to help thicken the juice that will be expelled by the fruit. Lastly, add just a pinch of salt for balance.

Let the fruit cook for 6-8 minutes then take off the burner and set aside until ready to top with the crumble mixture.

Making the cobbler topping

For the crumble, add to a large bowl all of the dry ingredients – 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1/4 tsp salt. Mix with a whisk or fork until combined. In a smaller, separate bowl, mix together 1/4 cup milk (I like to use whole milk) and 1 large egg. Beat with a whisk until combined. Then add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients. Lastly, using a cheese grater, grate in 1/2 cup of cold butter. The mixture should look like the below photo.

If you don’t own a cheese grater, you can also just cut the butter into small cubes using a knife. For many years, I opted for the knife method, even though I had a grater. After using the grater once, you will understand why it’s the easiest method to cut up butter. Once the butter has been added, go in hands first and begin to combine. I find that tossing the mixture by hand is the best method. The pieces of butter will become coated with flour and eventually clump up. The sizes of the clumps are totally up you. If you prefer large clumps, leave them bigger, but I often like to have a mix of all different sizes. The cobbler mixture should look like the photo below.

Preparing the Skillet Cobbler for baking

Once the cobbler topping has been made, it’s time to add it on top of the fruit. Spread a layer of cobbler over the fruit until it is completely covered. Go ahead and preheat your oven to 375°F and bake for 23-28 minutes until the top has turned a nice, golden brown. Don’t worry too much if the fruit base bubbles up through the cobbler topping, it happens. If you prefer to not see the fruit bubbling through, feel free to make additional cobbler topping. I topped mine with a few scoops of vanilla ice cream but top yours with whatever you like! Here is the finished Skillet Cobbler!