Even though I try to eat well most of the time, every now and again I long for something homemade with the ingredients of the season. With my husband being a cherry fan, I decided to make this cherry cobbler (and realized I have never made one before).
Canned cherry filling doesn’t do it for me~~way too sweet with an unnatural thick, gelatinous consistency. However, true fresh fresh sour cherries are never available here. After doing some research, this recipe from Cooks Illustrated (obtained from GroupRecipes.com) has apparently been rated the best cherry cobbler recipe. Using Trader Joe’s Morello cherries in a jar, this cobbler is full of flavor and not too sweet. However, you can adjust the sugar if you like your dessert on the sweeter side.
You make the biscuits first in a food processor combining the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and then the butter. Add buttermilk. The recipe says to use a spring loaded ice cream scoop to measure out the biscuit dough, which I do not have. A regular ice cream scoop or large spoon will do.
While the biscuits bake, you then make the cherry syrup using the cherry juice, wine, cinnamon stick, sugar, cornstarch and salt. If you want to minimize the red wine flavor, I imagine you could just boil it down longer. My version had a distinct red wine essence, which I really liked. However, my 16 year old daughter wrinkled her nose a bit at it at first…as she does not like the smell of wine (yay!)
Arrange the biscuits in 3 rows of 4 over the filling. Bake the cobbler until it is bubbling and the biscuits are golden brown.
I served it with freshly made whipped cream (another indulgence!). This was absolutely delicious. For an extra kick, you could drizzle it with Chambord, which up until this post I thought was a cherry based liqueur~~it is actually a black raspberry liqueur, but works too!!
I know my friend, Sam, will be sending me the calorie count on this shortly!!!! Not only is this a beautiful dessert but delicious too!
Ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
- 6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar for sprinkling
- 4 (24-ounce) jars Morello cherries, drained (about 8 cups drained cherries), 2 cups juice reserved
- 3/4 - 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch, plus one teaspoon cornstarch
- pinch table salt
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 cinnamon stick (3-inch)
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- Note: Use the smaller amount of sugar in the filling if you prefer your fruit desserts on the tart side and the larger amount if you like them sweet
Instructions
- Adjust rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper
- In work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade, pulse flour, 6 Tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt to combine.
- Scatter butter pieces over and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 15 pulses.
- Transfer to a medium bowl, add buttermilk and toss with rubber spatula to combine.
- Using a 1.5 to 1.75 inch spring loaded ice cream scoop, scoop 12 biscuits onto baking sheet 2 inches apart.
- Sprinkle biscuits evenly with 2 tablespoons sugar and bake until lightly browned on tops and bottoms. About 15 minutes. Do not turn off oven.
- Meanwhile, spread drained cherries in even layer in a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish.
- Stir sugar, cornstarch and salt together in medium nonreactive saucepan.
- Whisk in reserved cherry juice and wine, and add cinnamon stick.
- Set saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, whisking frequently until mixture simmers and thickens, about 5 minutes (more if you want less wine taste).
- Discard cinnamon stick, stir in almond extract and pour hot liquid over cherries in baking dish.
- Arrange hot biscuits in 3 rows over 4 over filling.
- Bake cobbler until filling is bubbling and biscuits are deep golden brown, about 10 minutes.
- Cool on wire rack 10 minutes, serve.
Gabie - Tea End Blog says
Oh my goodness! This looks so delicious and simple to make! I like my desserts not too sweet so I’ll keep it the way it is…Thank you for sharing and this is a perfect Recipe to introduce the coming of the new season!