Do you know the difference between a cobbler and a crisp?
Before I made this cobbler, I didn’t.
As I was researching recipes and flavor combinations for things to bake with fresh cherries, I came across the blog Cooking Stoned that explained the difference.
A cobbler is a dense, thick dish with fruit on the bottom and a biscuit like crust on top. A crisp has the same fruit filling, but on top it has a oat or nut topping and isn’t quite as dense. Either way – you can’t really go wrong, it’s just a preference.
Personally, I prefer a cobbler (hence the reason why I’m making this Cherry Cobbler) because of the biscuit like crust on top. I LOVE that part.
LOVE.
It’s cherry season in Bavaria and my favorite little fruit stand has them by the kilogram. So yesterday, my hubby and I stopped and picked up about 2 1/2 kilgograms worth of cherries. I think we ate at least 1/2 a kg before we got home.
There is NOTHING better than fresh picked fruit. I mean – remember all those strawberries I picked a couple weeks ago and all that strawberry freezer jam I made? Seriously. I love living in Germany where the fresh fruit is a plenty!
Before we can start putting the cobbler together though, we have to pit the cherries. You could go out and buy a cherry-pitter, but it’s just as easy to use something like a straw or screwdriver to push the pit through the cherry. It’s really easy. Messy, but easy!
Once the fruit is pitted and a few have gone into the belly of your baby… it’s time to make the filling!
Since I’m in Germany, I had to use Kirsch to sweeten and flavor the filling for the cobbler. Kirsch is a cherry liquor, often called Kirschwasser and clear in color, which is made from the fruit and stones (pits) of the cherries. It’s so good. Typically in Germany, kirsch is used in cakes and pastries and always in Black Forest Cake. A friend of mine gave me a bottle and I’ve been dying to use it. Today was the perfect opportunity!
Don’t worry though, if you don’t have access to kirsch, any cherry liquor or berry liquor would work in it’s place. If you don’t want any alcohol… you could use water. But the flavor will definitely be lacking.
The topping is a basic biscuit dough, but instead of using all milk or cream, I used yogurt then topped the batter with an egg wash and a sprinkling of raw sugar to add a bit of a crunch. Oh… my. DIVINE!
You bake the cobbler until the top is golden brown and the cherries are bubbly. I’m pretty sure with the first bite of this cobbler… I died and went to HEAVEN! Cherry Heaven!
If you get a chance to either pick your own cherries or buy them… I URGE YOU to make this!!! It’s A MUST!
Enjoy!
Cherry Cobbler
Ingredients
Cherry Filling
- 8 cups pitted, de-stemmed and rinsed cherries
- 1 cup Kirschwasser (or any cherry liquor)
- 3 Tbsp corn starch
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 limes, juiced
- the peel of 1 lime cut into 5-6 strips (I used a potato peeler)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, not packed
- 1 cup light brown sugar, not packed
- 1/8 tsp salt
Topping
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 10 Tbsp unsalted butter, VERY COLD
- 2/3 cup yogurt
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 egg + 1 Tbsp water (for garnish), mixed
- Sugar in the Raw (for garnish)
Instructions
Cherry Filling
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Get out a large, rectangular baking dish.
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, whisk together the Kirschwasser, lime juice, corn starch, sugars and salt until no more lumps appear. Add the lime peels and cherry and stir.
- Cook on medium-high heat until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken.
- Reduce to medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes or until the cherries are soft (but not broken down) and the syrup is thick.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool while you're preparing your topping.
Topping
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Using a fork or a pastry cutter, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until you have a coarse meal texture and no large lumps remain.
- In a measuring cup, measure the sour cream and milk and mix.
- Pour the sour cream into the flour and mix until just combined and all the flour is wet. DO NOT OVER MIX.
Assembly
- Using a slotted spoon, scoop the cherry mixture into a large, rectangle baking dish. NOTE: You won't need all the cherry syrup - in fact, don't use it all. When you scoop the cherries out, tap the slotted spoon on the edge of the pan to let some of the juice out.
- Using your fingers, drop mounds of dough on top of the cherries until covered. This doesn't have to be perfect. The messier, the better.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Brush it over the top of the dough and sprinkle the raw sugar evenly.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the cherries are bubbly.
- Set on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes to allow the juices to set up before serving.
- Serve by itself or with a bit scoop of vanilla ice cream. Best if served warm.
- Cover with foil and eat within 48 hours.
Notes
Recipe inspired by Cooking Stone's Cherry & Red Wine Cobbler
Here are a few items that could make putting the cobbler together much easier!
Note: If you can’t find Kirschwasser – you could use the juice from a jar of cherries soaked in the kirsch!
Sarah
Monday 22nd of November 2021
What if you don't have limes: Would you use lime juice or replace with lemons?
Betsy Eves
Sunday 30th of April 2023
Buy limes.
Nora Q. Merritt
Tuesday 6th of August 2013
Well guess we won’t be having the cherry pie….NOPE it’s going to be SHERBERT that’s for sure. have had the cherries in the freezer from last year’s crop and they need to go HERE! thanks for sharing.
Betsy Eves
Wednesday 7th of August 2013
Sherbert sounds DELISH!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust
Sunday 7th of July 2013
Mmm...This is so pretty! I'd eat that cobbler off the top...and then maybe eat the fruit. :)