Living with a New Englander–even when he’s been in St. Louis nearly half of his life–means a Yankee Magazine subscription, which always includes a good recipe or two. I happened to have four small peaches in my refrigerator drawer, which helped inspire me to adapt this Apple-Plum Cobbler recipe. It’s simply delicious, with only a touch of cinnamon as the spice, and I’ll definitely make it again. (My adaptions are noted below in parentheses.)
Apple-Plum Cobbler
Early-season apples reach markets when local stone fruits—peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums—are still available. And since “fruit that grows together tends to go together,” this combination makes a great cobbler. For the prettiest color, use purple or red plums.
Note: If you plan to use peaches, you’ll need to remove the skin before baking. To do this, cut a shallow “X” in the bottom of each, then drop in boiling water for 10 to 20 seconds, then transfer to an ice bath and peel. (I actually went to the trouble to do this, but can’t say that I’ll do it again in the future.)
From “Once More to the Orchard,” September/October 2020
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 ¹⁄3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2/3 cup milk (I used heavy cream, because I had it!)
- ¾ pound smooth-skinned stone fruits, such as plums, apricots, or nectarines, unpeeled, pitted, and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 large firm-sweet apples, such as Honeycrisp, peeled, cored, and cut into ¾-inch pieces ( I used one Honeycrisp and one fuji)
- ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest (I skipped the lemon zest because I’m lazy, but I use the excuse that I sometimes find it overpowering.)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche, for serving (I made fresh whipped cream, with just a touch of sugar and vanilla–absolute perfection!)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375° and set a rack to the middle position. Grease a 9-by-9-inch or 11-by-7-inch baking dish (10-cup capacity) with a bit of butter.
Using a standing or handheld mixer, beat the butter with 2/3 cup sugar in a medium bowl until pale and fluffy, stopping and scraping down the sides periodically, 3 to 4 minutes. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add a third of the dry mixture to the butter and beat on low speed to combine. Add half of the milk. Repeat with another third of the dry mixture, then the rest of the milk. Finally, add the last third of the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
Put the fruit in the prepared baking dish, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and the lemon zest and juice, and stir to combine. Pour the topping over the fruit and spread with a spatula (it’s fine if the topping doesn’t fully cover the fruit—it will spread more as it cooks). Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the top springs back in the center when you press it, about 1 hour. Serve warm, with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche.