Seasonal Cobbler Recipe

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly butter a 9-inch (or similar) ovenproof baking dish.

In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, seasonal fruit, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, orange juice, and orange zest. Stir to combine.

Over medium heat, bring the fruit mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook 4–6 minutes until cranberries begin to pop and the larger fruit softens.

Whisk cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water until smooth, then whisk into the simmering fruit. Continue cooking 1–2 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and salt. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed.

Transfer the thickened fruit filling to the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer.

While the fruit cooks, make the streusel: in a medium bowl combine flour, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, and sea salt.

Add the cold cubed butter and, using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces. Refrigerate the streusel while you make the cobbler topping.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, and salt.

Cut the cold cubed butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or two forks until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized bits remaining.

In a small bowl, whisk together milk, egg, and vanilla. Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the wet mixture, and stir gently with a spatula until just combined — do not overmix; the dough should be thick and slightly sticky.

Using a spoon or 2-tablespoon scoop, drop mounds of the dough over the hot fruit, spacing them so there are small gaps for steam to escape. The topping should cover most of the fruit but not be perfectly sealed.

Dot the exposed fruit and a few biscuit tops with small pieces of the 1 tablespoon unsalted butter.

Sprinkle the chilled orange streusel evenly over the biscuit drops, pressing lightly so some streusel adheres to the dough.

Bake in the preheated oven for 28–35 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the fruit filling is bubbly around the edges. If the streusel browns too quickly, tent the dish loosely with foil for the last 8–10 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool on a rack 10–15 minutes to set (this helps the filling thicken slightly).

Scoop warm cobbler into bowls or onto plates. Add a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream to each serving while the cobbler is still warm so the ice cream melts slightly into the fruit.

Garnish with a little grated orange zest if desired and serve immediately.