For a summer favorite dessert, why not try to make some strawberry cobbler recipes? Cobblers and pies are a most versatile dessert since nearly anything sweet or savory can be placed in a pie shell. Strawberry cobbler is a tasty and sometimes tart dessert the whole family can enjoy.
What is Cobbler Anyway
A cobbler is typically a fruit pie in a crust with a crumb topping, but the history of the dessert we in the United States call a "cobbler" is a storied one dating back to 1864. The cobbler pies are known by many names which include:
- Tart
- Torte
- Pandowdy
- Grunt
- Buckles
- Crisp
- Slump
- Croustade
- Bird's or Crow's Nest Pudding
All of these variations of the cobbler are simple to put together. What helps to make these pies great is the fact that fancy pastry skills or preparation are not required. In the end, the only thing that does count is the flavor. Seasonal fruits are the order of business where these pies are concerned, but there are a few varieties of cobbler that have several differences in presentation.
Cobbler: This variety is an American invention and is a deep-dish pie made with seasonal fruits. The crust is thick and usually called a "biscuit crust". The fruit filling varies and can include peaches, strawberries, apples, and the like. You can either have a top crust or a crumb topping. Other versions use a drop-biscuit topping.
Crisps/Crumbles: A "crumble" is the United Kingdom's variety of the crisp that is found in the United States. This cobbler is crustless and is often served family style or as an individual serving. The filling consists of a mix of fresh fruits with sugar, spices, and other ingredients. The dessert is topped with a mixture often containing brown sugar, flour, and oats that is cut into butter then sprinkled on top and baked.
Brown Betty: The "betty" is a dessert popular in England and found favor in the American colonies. It is usually made with apples but any fruit can do. It is made like the crisp but has the crumb topping also serving as a crust.
The cobbler began in the American colonies as transplant recipes from Britain. Not all of the traditional ingredients were available to them so they had to make do. These new creations is how we came by having "traditional" American dishes with interesting and colorful names. The cobbler became so popular that it was originally served as a main course.
Traditional Strawberry Cobbler Recipes
This strawberry cobbler recipe represents the traditional fruit pie, but each family will tend to have their own variety.
Ingredients - Crust
- 1 cup flour; sifted
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup butter; cold
- 1/4 cup milk; cold
Method
- Combine flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
- Cut the butter in to the flour mix until it resembles coarse cornmeal.
- Add milk and stir quickly until a dough forms and gathers to make a ball.
- Lightly flour your work surface and turn out the dough, then roll to 1/4" thick and fit it on a pie plate. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes if you need a parbaked crust.
Ingredients - Filling
- 1 quart fresh strawberries; hulled
- 1/4 pound butter
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Whipped cream (optional)
Method
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Melt butter in saucepan then remove from heat.
- Add milk, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cinnamon.
- Stir until combined and a batter has formed.
- Arrange strawberries, point up, in parbaked pie shell then pour batter over the strawberries.
- Bake in oven for 15 minutes then add crumb topping (below) and bake 10 minutes.
Ingredients - Topping
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup butter; cold and diced
- 1 cup quick baking oats
- 1 cup brown sugar
Method
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
- Cut ingredients together until mix forms a coarse cornmeal.
Very Simple Strawberry Cobbler
The above recipe is traditional but certainly not quick nor easy. The following recipe represents an incredibly simplistic strawberry cobbler recipe.
Ingredients - Crust
- Frozen pie crust or unrolled pie shell.
Method
- Defrost frozen/preformed pie shell or roll-out unrolled pie shell and place inside pie plate.
Ingredients - Topping
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
Method
- Cut butter and brown sugar together until it forms dime-sized pieces.
Ingredients - Filling
- 4 cups frozen strawberries
- 1/2 cup sugar
Method
- Heat strawberries and sugar over medium heat until soft.
- Break up the mixture and pour into the pie shell.
- Spread out the topping evenly.
- Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 45-60 minutes.
More Recipes
There are many recipes you can find on the Internet that can provide a medley of mixed fruits or incorporating rhubarb in the recipe.
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