Recipe: Strawberry Cobbler

STRAWBERRY COBBLER

"A lovely variation on the usual peach or apple cobbler."

Filling:
6 cups strawberries, cleaned and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Topping:
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup heavy cream
1-1/3 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Glaze:
1 large egg white
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon sugar

Place the strawberries in a large bowl. Combine the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, allspice, and orange zest in another bowl. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Position the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Butter a 7x11x1-1/2-inch ovenproof glass baking dish.

Pour the sugar mixture over the fruit. Shake the bowl or gently stir to distribute the dry ingredients. Empty into the baking dish, arranging the strawberries to fill in any empty spaces. Make sure the fruit is level on top. Drizzle with lemon juice and dot with the butter.

To make the biscuit topping, first stir the vanilla into the cream. Set aside.

Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange and lemon zest into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the ingredients to blend. Distribute the butter around the bowl. Pulse 4 or 5 times, then process until the mixture forms fine crumbs (8 to 10 seconds). Then pulse 2 or 3 more times.

Pour the cream into the bowl. Pulse 6 to 8 times or until the mixture begins to form a mass. Don't overprocess.

Empty the dough onto a well-floured surface. The dough will be wet. Using a dough scraper, turn the dough a few times to coat it with flour. Then flour your hands and knead the dough 2 or 3 times, just until the surface is smooth. Flatten the dough, and roll or pat into a 10x14-inch rectangle. Don't overwork the dough.

With a sharp knife, divide the pastry lengthwise into 7 strips. Cut 3 of the strips in half across the middle. You should have 6 strips measuring about 7 inches long, and 4 strips about 14 inches long.

Space the 4 long strips evenly over the fruit in the baking dish. Starting slightly off-center, work the 6 shorter strips into a lattice-weave top. There should be spaces between the strips.

For the glaze, place the egg white and water in a small bowl. Lightly beat with a fork. Brush the surface of the dough with the egg wash, then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake the cobbler for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the juices are bubbly and the top is golden brown. Serve warm or within 3 or 4 hours after baking. Cover any leftovers with waxed paper, then aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat before serving. Do not freeze. Makes 6 to 8 servings.