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Prep time
20 minutes
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Cook time
45 minutes
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Serves
8
Author Notes
This recipe was inspired by Southern chef extraordinaire Virginia Willis’s genius recipe for blackberry cobbler. Hers was the first I’d tasted where a lean cake batter was baked over fruit to create a multilayered, juice-soaked, pudding-like dessert with a lovely crisp top and stewed-berry bottom. In the past, I’d always topped my cobblers with biscuits, which is tasty, but that keeps the two entities a bit more separate. This version is like Virginia’s but uses caramelized pears and a buttery cake layer to create the perfect one-pot fall indulgence.
Serve with Samantha's Crème Anglaise. —Food52
Test Kitchen Notes
Recipe from BAKE SMART by Samantha Seneviratne. Copyright © 2023 by Samantha Seneviratne. Reprinted with permission by Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins. All rights reserved. —The Editors
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Ingredients
- Pears
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3 tablespoons
(3/8 stick; 42 grams) butter
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3
medium firm Bosc pears, cored and cut into 8 wedges
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3 tablespoons
(38 grams) dark or light brown sugar
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Pinch
kosher salt
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1 1/2 teaspoons
pure vanilla extract
- Batter
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8 tablespoons
(1 stick; 113 grams) butter, melted
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1 cup
(200 grams) granulated sugar
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1 cup
(236 grams) buttermilk, at room temperature
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1 1/2 teaspoons
pure vanilla extract
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1 cup
(136 grams) all-purpose flour
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1 teaspoon
baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon
baking soda
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1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
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Samantha's Crème Anglaise (linked above)
Directions
- Pears
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Preheat the oven to 350°F
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PREPARE THE PEARS:
In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
*If the heat is too high, the caramel may separate. Fear not! Once the pears start cooking, they will release some juice and the whole mess will smooth out.
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Add the pears and spread them out into an even layer.
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Add the brown sugar and salt and cook until the pears are lightly browned in spots but not too soft and the caramel has thickened slightly, about 4 minutes.
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Transfer the pears to a plate and wipe out the skillet (no need to wash it).
- Batter
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PREPARE THE BATTER:
In a large bowl, stir together the butter, sugar, buttermilk, and vanilla.
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Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and stir to combine.
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Add the batter to the skillet and spread it into an even layer.
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Top with the pears and any accumulated juices.
*Sometimes the pears sink into the batter. Sometimes they don’t. Either way, the cobbler will be great.
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Bake until the cake is set, about 45 minutes. You should be able to gently touch the cake in the center and feel that it’s firm.
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Serve big, warm scoops of cobbler topped with Samantha's Crème Anglaise.
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