Plum Cobbler Recipe

Prepare the plums

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Lightly butter a 9-inch (23 cm) deep-dish pie plate or a 9x9-inch baking dish. Wash the plums, halve them, remove pits, and cut each half into 2–3 slices so you have roughly 1–1.25 kg sliced fruit.

Place the sliced plums in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup light brown sugar; toss to coat and macerate for 10 minutes so the fruit begins to release juices.

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons Everleaf Marine Red Plum Cordial until smooth. Pour this mixture over the macerated plums and gently fold to combine. Let sit while you prepare the topping (5–10 minutes).

Transfer the plum mixture and any accumulated juices into the prepared dish, spreading into an even layer. Spoon and distribute any remaining syrup from the bowl over the fruit so the bottom will be syrupy once baked.

In a medium bowl whisk together 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt until evenly combined.

Using a box grater or two knives, grate or cut 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter into the dry ingredients and toss quickly with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup whole milk, 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth.

Pour the wet mixture into the flour-butter mixture and stir gently with a spatula or wooden spoon just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix; some dry streaks are fine. The dough should be slightly sticky but scoopable.

Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, drop rounded tablespoons (or 6–8 scoops) of the topping over the plum filling, spacing them evenly. The topping will expand and bake into biscuits — leave small gaps so steam can escape and juices bubble up between biscuits.

Brush the biscuit tops lightly with 1 tablespoon melted butter and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon coarse sugar for a golden, crunchy finish.

Place the cobbler in the preheated oven (190°C / 375°F) on the middle rack. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the topping is golden brown, puffed, and a tester inserted into a topping piece comes out clean, and the fruit filling is bubbling around the edges.

If the topping is browning too quickly before the filling bubbles, tent loosely with foil and continue baking until filling is active; remove foil for the last 5–7 minutes to crisp the topping.

Remove the cobbler from the oven and let it rest for 10–15 minutes; the filling will thicken as it cools. Brush any exposed fruit or biscuit edges with a little of the reserved Everleaf Marine Red Plum Cordial (if you’d like a brighter plum aroma) or a teaspoon of additional melted butter.

Serve warm with scoops of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of crème fraîche and garnish with fresh mint leaves if using.