This article appears in the Summer 2025 issue
Cherry Cobbler Completes the Meal
The slump, the dump, the Betty, the crisp, the crumble, or the cobbler! What’s the difference? These are all versions of a cooked fruit dessert with a crumble, biscuit, or pie crust on top and/or bottom, and baked in the oven or cooked on the stovetop. They were imagined when the first settlers were unable to recreate their native dessert: suet pudding, a British dessert made of suet, flour, dried fruit, and spices, and traditionally steamed. Sound yummy?
Cherry trees with edible fruit were first brought to North America in the 1600s by the French, and later the English brought them to New England. Cherries became a staple in the colonists’ diet and culinary practices, and became commercially available in the 1800s.
There are two main species of cherries. The sweet cherry is typically eaten fresh, while the sour or tart cherry is often used in cooking, baking, or juicing. This small stone fruit is known for its juicy flesh with a pit in the center. It is also a good source of nutrients and antioxidants. Bing, Brooks, Chelan, Coral, Rainier, and Tulare are some popular varieties.
This cobbler is very versatile and forgiving…and many different fruits can be substituted seasonally. Mmmm…I can taste that peach cobbler now!
Cherry Cobbler
Serves 6–8
Filling:
8 cups of fresh cherries, pitted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8-inch pie dish with butter. Place all ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, about 5 minutes. Pour into the greased pie dish.
Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 large egg
3 tablespoons whole milk
Combine the first 7 ingredients (dry) in a medium bowl. Cut butter pieces into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or your fingers until course and sandy and the dough starts to hold together. Mix the egg and milk together and add to the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Drop tablespoons of the mixture onto the cherry filling. Bake until golden brown and the fruit is bubbling, about 12–15 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature, preferably with vanilla bean ice cream!
Image Credit: Getty Images/chas53.
Melody Tierney is an avid foodie and enjoys sharing her passion with others. A former bed and breakfast owner in Southampton, New York, she and her husband Phil were featured as an Inn of the Month in Travel and Leisure magazine.