Recipe: Fruit Cobbler (Butter Cookie Dough Topping, Rich Shortcake Topping, or Flaky Pastry Topping with Fruit of Choice)

FRUIT COBBLER
Makes 4 to 6 servings

Butter Cookie Dough Topping (recipe follows)
Rich Shortcake Topping (recipe follows)
Flaky Pastry Topping (recipe follows)
Fruit of Choice (options below)

1. Prepare topping for fruit. Refrigerate shortcake or pie dough while preparing fruit.

2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix sugar and cornstarch and any dry spices together in a medium bowl. Add prepared fruit and liquid flavorings; toss to coat.

3. Place prepared fruit in an 8-inch square or 9-inch round baking pan. Cover with selected toppings and bake on a cookie sheet until golden brown, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

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FRUIT CHOICES:

Blueberries:
2 pints fresh berries (or 20 ounces frozen), rinsed and picked over; 1/2 to 2/3 cup sugar; 2 teaspoons cornstarch; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blackberries, strawberries:
2 pints fresh berries (or 20 ounces frozen, rinsed; 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Raspberries:
2 pints fresh berries (or 20 ounces frozen), rinsed; 1/2 to 2/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Apples:
1 3/4 pounds tart, firm apples, peeled, quartered, cored and thickly sliced; 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon brandy

Pears:
1 3/4 pounds pears, peeled, quartered, cored and thickly sliced; 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar; 2 teaspoons cornstarch; 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger or nutmeg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sour cherries:
1 3/4 pounds fresh cherries (or 20 ounces frozen), stemmed and pitted; 2/3 to 3/4 cup sugar; 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch; 1 tablespoon kirsch; 1/2 tablespoon almond extract

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BUTTER COOKIE DOUGH TOPPING
Makes enough to cover one 8-inch square or one 9-inch round pan

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 large egg or 1 yolk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl; set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until well blended. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture; stir until just combined.

Drop cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto prepared fruit in step 2 of recipe for fruit cobbler. Bake, following instructions in step 3.

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RICH SHORTCAKE TOPPING
Makes enough to cover one 8-inch square or one 9-inch round pan

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, chilled
7 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon sugar

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture, tossing to coat butter with a little flour. Cut butter into flour with five 1-second pulses. Add shortening; continue cutting in until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal, with butter bits no larger than small peas, about 4 more 1-second pulses. Turn mixture into a medium bowl.

Pour 6 tablespoons milk into flour mixture. Toss with fork until mixture forms large clumps, adding remaining 1 tablespoon milk if dough does not clump. Turn mixture onto a work surface; lightly knead until mixture just comes together. Place dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and press into either a square or a disk, depending on the shape of pan. Refrigerate while preparing fruit. (Shortcake can be refrigerated for up to 2 hours before baking.)

Roll dough into a 10-inch wide square or circle. Lay dough over prepared fruit in step 2 of recipe for Fruit Cobbler; tuck excess in between pan side and fruit. Brush dough with remaining tablespoon of milk; sprinkle with sugar. Cut 4 air vents in top of dough and follow baking instructions in step 3.

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FLAKY PASTRY TOPPING
Makes enough to cover one 8-inch square or one 9-inch round pan

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

Mix flour, salt and 1 tablespoon sugar in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture, tossing to coat butter with a little flour. Cut butter into flour with five 1-second pulses. Add shortening; continue cutting in until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal, with butter bits no larger than small peas, about 4 more 1-second pulses. Turn mixture into a medium bowl.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons ice water over mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold water into flour mixture. Press down on dough mixture with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together, adding up to 1 tablespoon more ice water if necessary. Place dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and press into either a square or a disk, depending on shape of pan. Refrigerate while preparing fruit according to step 2 of recipe for Fruit Cobbler. (Topping can be refrigerated for up to 2 days before baking.)

Roll dough into a 10-inch square or circle. Lay dough over prepared fruit; tuck excess dough in between pan side and fruit. Brush dough top lightly with water and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Cut four 2-inch air vents in top of dough and bake following instructions in step 3 of recipe for Fruit Cobbler.

Source: The Perfect Recipe by Pamela Anderson