Baked orchard fruit cobbler

Baked orchard fruit cobbler with cinnamon creme fraiche

This versatile dish can be easily adapted to any time of year, using pretty much any fruit you like. For example, stick with these colder weather fruits for a winter warmer dessert, or use berries and stone fruit, peaches and raspberries or cherries and apricots in summer.
Serves 6

◆ 8 large plums
◆ 3 pears
◆ 250g fresh blackberries
◆ 1 tbsp creme de cassis (optional)
◆ 4 tbsp soft brown sugar

FOR THE COBBLER TOPPING
◆ 180g plain flour
◆ 1½ tsp baking powder
◆ 75g unsalted butter, diced
◆ 50g granulated/caster sugar
◆ 125-150ml buttermilk

CINNAMON CREME FRAICHE
◆ 150g creme fraiche
◆ 2 tsp icing sugar, sifted
◆ Ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan/ 190C/375F/gas 5.
2. Halve, stone and thickly slice the plums. Peel, core and thinly slice the pears. Wash and dry the blackberries. Place the fruit in a bowl, add the creme de cassis, if using, and brown sugar, and stir well to combine. Transfer the fruit to a lidded casserole dish.
3. To make the topping, sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and rub in the butter to make fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar. Work in enough buttermilk to bring the mixture together and make a slightly sticky dough. Spoon mounds of the topping over the fruit layer, allowing some of the fruit mixture to remain uncovered.
4. Transfer the casserole dish to the preheated oven and bake uncovered for about 30-35 minutes until the topping is risen and golden and the fruit is oozing rich juices. Check halfway through and cover the pan with the lid if the top is beginning to get to brown.
5. Stir the creme fraiche, sugar and cinnamon together until combined. Serve with the fruit cobbler.

◆ A Cookbook for Winter: More than 95 Nurturing & Comforting Recipes for the Colder Months is published by Ryland Peters & Small, price £22

This recipe appeared in the November 2024 issue of The Lady magazine.

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