I’ve used the same basic batter recipe for making cobblers for years. It has never failed me and adapts well to a wide variety of summer fruits, including fresh sweet cherries. I’ve made summer cobblers with a combination of fruits, such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and cherries, but more often than not, I do single-fruit cobblers, like the ones here for cherry cobbler. I like to throw a cobbler into the oven the same time we are sitting down to supper, because by the time the table is cleared and the dishes are done, the cobbler is ready – all hot and bubbly and baked to a deep golden brown. Old-fashioned desserts, like cobblers, look particularly homey served from a cast iron skillet, inviting family and friends to linger longer at the dessert table. And, because cast iron retains heat for a greater length of time than other cooking materials, your cobbler will stay warm well after it has been removed from the oven. Laid-back cobblers are scrumptious accompanied with good vanilla ice cream, and if you have access to an ice cream maker, there’s nothing quite like the taste of homemade. The recipe highlighted for No-Cook Intensely Vanilla Ice Cream, my favorite “go to” recipe for homemade vanilla ice cream, produces an ice cream with a velvety texture and a deeply pleasing vanilla flavor. Paired with fresh cherry cobbler, the duo may be among the best tastes of summer we’ve enjoyed so far.
Sue Ade is a syndicated food writer with broad experience and interest in the culinary arts. She has worked and resided in the Lowcountry of South Carolina since 1985 and may be reached at kitchenade@yahoo.com.
