The cobbler is thought to have originated in the American colonies, when English settlers covered a stewed fruit filling with uncooked biscuits and baked the concoction. The name may have come from the fact that the dish was cobbled together or that it’s surface resembles a cobbled street. Whichever, it’s a devilishly delicious combination.

I “cobbled” this recipe together by creating a slightly sweetened biscuit dough, stewing apples in a sweet light syrup, and adding bananas. The mixture of juicy fruit compote and the crumbly biscuits is perfect. Go ahead – “cobble” one up today.

Note: I use a whole ½ cup of lemon juice, which creates a very juicy cobbler. You can cut this back to ¼ cup for a thicker syrup.

 

Ingredients (1 cobbler in 10” Dutch oven – 25cm)

Filling

2 tbsp butter

2 lbs (900g) apples (3 large), cored & coarsely chopped

½ cup lemon juice

1 cup natural cane sugar

1 tbsp corn starch

2 tsp ground cinnamon

3 bananas, sliced

 

Biscuit Topping

2 cups flour

¼ cup sugar

½ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

¼ cup cold butter, cut into ¼”-½” (5-12mm) cubes

¾ cup milk

 

Cook Filling

1. In a large Dutch oven or other deep and heavy pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add the apples and lemon juice. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, corn starch, and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the apples. Stir to combine and bring to simmer.

2. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the apples are lightly softened.

3. Stir in the banana slices, cover, and simmer for 5 more minutes. Then remove from heat and let sit while you prepare biscuit topping.

 

Add Topping And Bake

4. Preheat oven to 375F (190c).

5. Put flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and butter in food processor. Pulse until fine.

6. Transfer the flour mixture to a large bowl. Make a well in the center and stir in the milk. Gently mix the ingredients together to form a soft, sticky dough.

7. Turn the dough out onto a floured counter. Sprinkle some flour over top and pat the dough down gently.

8. Pat the dough until it is about ½” (12mm) thick. Use a glass or cookie cutter to cut out rounds of biscuit dough. Recombine leftovers and pat down to make more biscuits.

9. Arrange the biscuits on top of the hot apple and banana mixture.

10. Bake the cobbler for 40 minutes, until the biscuits are puffed up and browned.

This cobbler is delicious hot or cold. Eat it by itself or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.