Tuesday 24 June 2008

Cobbler, Cobbler, mend my shoe



Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe.
Get it done by half past two.
Half past two is much too late!
Get it done by half past eight.
~Author Unknown

cob·bler –noun
1. a person who mends shoes.
2. a deep-dish fruit pie with a rich biscuit crust, usually only on top.
3. an iced drink made of wine or liquor, fruits, sugar, etc.
4. a fabric rejected because of defective dyeing or finishing.
5. a mummichog.
6. Archaic. a clumsy workman.

Similar to a fruit crisp in that they both have a delicious juicy fruit filling, cobblers are an American invention, most likely invented by those talented American Pioneers who were very adept at pulling delicious rabbits out of hats made of simple and lacking ingredients. They were very good at improvising. Having brought their favourite recipes from back home with them they had to make do with the ingredients that were available for them in the New World and came up with delicious recipes such as these, and unique names as well, such as cobbler, crumble, grunt, pan dowdy, slump, buckle . . . essentially all the same dessert but with different toppings and names.

Yes, today is Tuesday and it's the Tuesdays with Dorie Challenge day . . . the one day of the week when a bazillion bakers around the world pool together their resources and talents and bake the same recipe from the delicious book "Baking, from my home to yours" by Dorie
Greenspan.

This weeks challenge was, you might have guessed it, Mixed Berry Cobbler, on pages 416-417 as chosen by Beth of Our Sweet Life .

Beth, Beth, Beth . . . this week you were surely singing the song of my heart for I love fruit cobblers almost more than anything in this world! Thanks so much for choosing this recipe!



I decided early on after reading about all the experiences that the other ladies of the baking group were having with this recipe, that I would make a few changes in the basic recipe. I have always loved the combination of blueberries and peaches and so I decided to add a tin of sliced peaches into the cobbler filling mix, chopped into small squares of course. I knew you wouldn't be able to see them in the final baked mix as they would be coloured blue like all the little blueberries, but I thought that they would create a simple taste surprise in every bite! I also added a tsp of cinnamon because blueberries, peaches and cinnamon go together very, very well.



A lot of the other ladies had found the topping to be rather bland and so I kicked it up a notch by adding a heaping tsp of my own homemade pumpkin pie spice to the flour and sugar before I rubbed in the butter. I also added 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla essence to the cream before I stirred it in. The dough for the topping came together very nicely. I patted mine out to the required size between two pieces of cling film, and easily popped it on top of the berry mix that was waiting in my little blue casserole dish.

Blueberries, peaches all tucked under a biscuit dough blanket in a pretty blue casserole dish . . . all it needed now was my little blue pie bird that I received from my friend Susan from Not Quite June Cleaver as a cute little decoration. I had been dying to use it ever since it came in the mail! This was the perfect excuse!



I brushed the biscuit blanket with some more cream and sprinkled on a healthy topping of demerara sugar before I popped it into the oven to add some colour and lovely crunch to the finished creation.

It smelled heavenly when it was baking . . . oh my!



It looked so beautiful when it came out of the oven with those delicious blueberry juices oozing around the edges and that cute little bird peeping up out of the middle, not to mention with that sugar crust adoring the top!

They say the proof is in the eating, and this turned out to be very delicious on the day, served up warm and adorned with a couple slabs of Green and Black's organic vanilla ice cream. We both loved it very much. The crust was short and buttery and melted in the mouth and those blueberries and peaches . . . well . . . they were nothing short of wonderfully, tastily, moreish!



With a few adaptions this was a lovely recipe and I would make it again. I was also able to cut the recipe in half quite successfully, which I like to do sometimes as there is really only Todd and I here to eat these things and I am quite stout and shouldn't be eating too much of things like this and Todd is only one man and can't possibly get through a lot of it all on his lonesome. In a way I was glad though that I had only made half as it is not a dessert that sits well I found for the next day all the juices from the blueberries had soaked into the topping and it was not quite as appealing, so it's truly an eat on the day type of dessert!

For the recipe you must visit Beth's page, and for a gander at what all the other lovely members of the group came up with, hop on over to the main Blog Roll! I'm on my way over myself as I can't wait to see what they each came up with. Maybe I'll meet you there!

Next week Karina of The Floured Apron has chosen . . . Apple Cheddar Scones on page 32. Mmmmmm . . . I can't wait!!!

Hmmm . . . now I'm wondering what a mummichog is . . .

43 comments:

  1. Your cobbler looks HEAVENLY. Simply divine.

    I finally figured out my 6 word life description. I told you I'd get back to you. Here it is:

    "Survived all odds. Now living dreams.:

    Wha-lah!

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  2. Blueberries and peaches with cinnamon, vanilla and demerara sugar... what a great way to take Dorie's recipe and infuse a bit of your own. Love your interpretation of this week's assignment.

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  3. The bird is so cute.
    Your own pumpkin pie spice sounds lovely.

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  4. OH, this looks a berry good treat, Marie--DELICIOUS! And your little bird is so cute. I just discovered Susan's wonderful blog--great place she has in blogland! Thanks for so many links to follow. Happy Day, my dear friend ((HUGS))

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  5. Your cobbler looks absolutely wonderful. The pumpkin pie spice sounds like a nice addition to the topping.

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  6. The last picture is fantastic. I crashed my nose into the screen trying to lick up the blueberries about to drip from the spoon....another one to add to my list. This would be a perfect post-Alaska treat.

    One of these days, I'm going to come to England and never leave. I'll get so fat off your cooking you'll have to get a forklift to lift me from your dining room!

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  7. The bird is very cute, and your spice mixture sounds delicious!

    Ulrike from Küchenlatein

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  8. I love the pie bird, and the flavor combo sounds delicious!

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  9. Oh, my goodness does that look good or what!!! Plump, juicy blueberries, the crust... perfect,
    melting vanilla ice cream pooling in the crevices....I'll be right over!!! Put the coffee on!

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  10. That bluebird is so cute. Your pictures are lovely. The pumpkin spice added to the dry ingredients sounds so good!

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  11. Like the others, I think your little blue pie-bird is adorable. Your cobbler looks delicious!

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  12. I love that you can do so many things with this recipe...all your additions and bits are just begging me to have another go this weekend with the basic recipe and new add-ins. Thanks for sharing...love the little pie bird, and your photos...wow.

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  13. It looks glorious! I'm totally going to make this in the Fall when it cools down.

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  14. Graham was just looking at your photos with me & saw the pie bird. "It's an eagle!"

    Yummy, yummy, yummy. When we lived in Florida I would go blueberry picking & add peaches to crisps. It's such a fabulous taste.

    If we do manage to travel down from Leeds, will you make a full batch so Todd doesn't have to eat it alone :)

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  15. Simply lovely, I like the blueberries with the peaches.

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  16. That sounds like my kind of dessert. I was once making a fresh peach pie and came up a little short on peaches so I tossed in some blueberries. That's how I discovered how great this combination is.
    Pumpkin pie spice sounds wonderful with it.

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  17. Ahhhh . . . speaking to my heart this post is!!!! I love the innovations you made and I would copy your recipe exactly! We love blueberries anyway, and they are fantastic with peaches. We have one of those little pie birds, too, they are such fun! I use it in the middle of chicken pot pie some times.

    A mummichog is a type of fish.

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  18. Love the pie bird. Your cobbler looks lovely and delicious!

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  19. Oh shoot! I love the idea of peaches with blueberries! Ahh, I wish I'd thought of that ;]

    And, your cobbler looks divine!! And the bird is adorable!

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  20. Although I am not a great blueberry fan, this cobbler looks delicious!


    Have a wonderful day Marie.....

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  21. I find the cobble the most beautiful I see in many times!! Marie looks wonderful.
    ooh I like the bird is sooooo cute!!!besos, Gloria

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  22. Looks absolutely lovely Marie....YUMMY.

    Michele

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  23. Hahahah That bird is cracking me up! LOVE the blueberries and peaches. It just sounds delicious!

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  24. so beautiful, as always! I love the little birdie!
    I may try this again with the peaches - thaksfor the idea!

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  25. Blueberries and peaches together...wonderful! What a sweet pie bird.

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  26. Oh my gosh! I love your pie bird. I've always wanted to use one. So neat that you got one as a gift. The cobbler sounds yummy!

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  27. A mummichog? I can't wait to find out! I am going to invest in Dorie's book so I can try some of her recipes too. I really should leave these things alone too but I just CAN'T! So there.
    love, Angie

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  28. BTW, I used to have a pie bird kicking around the kitchen for years then it flew away bt can I find another? Been looking out for a pie bird and a tea caddy spoon for ages but they've 'gone out of style luv'. I won't be beat!
    A, xx

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  29. Your cobbler looks delicious! I love the combination of blueberries and peaches.

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  30. What a cute little bird! Your cobbler looks AMAZING! Great job-

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  31. Great job! I love your pie bird!

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  32. Tweet! nice touch... the bird!
    Great job!

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  33. OMG i forgot the ice cream! :)
    nice cobbler. mine is in the oven now and if it tastes even half as good as it smells...
    i'm off the the grocery again.
    enjoy.
    melly~

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  34. Hi Marie
    I have just had the most delightful time listening to your playlist while I've been sewing. The songs you have chosen are wonderful. I feel like I've gottebn to know you listening to the music you chose. You have a huge list. I'm sure i've been listening for well over an hour. it's been great fun! My sister just sbeganher blog. I think you'd like it. Here is the link http://www.wendalynlovestowrite.blogspot.com/
    Hugs, Rhondi

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  35. yum-yum! peaches and blueberries are a divine combo!

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  36. Oh, yum! The cobbler looks delicious and the pie bird is so cute!

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  37. Cobbler...mmmmmm! My great uncle used to have a collection of pie birds. Not sure who inherited them.

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  38. I love the background info that you provided. And the bird is very cute.

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  39. Looks delicious! Great job! Love the little bird!

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  40. Oh MY!!! Isnt that the most scrumptious looking cobbler I have ever seen!!?? And that little pie bird is adorable sitting there singing to the high heavens! You have such a lovely blog my dear friend across the big blue pond!

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  41. Peaches and blueberris and your own spice mix...sounds delicious!!
    Shari@Whisk: a food blog

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  42. I just went peach picking yesterday and instantly thought of this cobbler and how perfect it would be! I love the little bird, my mom and grandmother had those, when I was growing up. Divine cobbler!

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