Pear Cobbler
Description
This was a total experiment that turned out SO GOOD!
I had to make it twice--boo-hoo ;-) The first time, I was really trying to create the perfect, yummy week-night dessert and decided to not bother to peel the pears before tossing them into the cobbler. It was very tasty, but I found myself distracted by those peels, so the second time I 86'd the peels and--wow, wow, wow. This is GREAT!
A few things that I think are key to this recipe: the pears that I got were harder and less ripe than I had anticipated. This actually worked in my favor, but I had to add some flavorings to make sure I got the richness I wanted. I added lemon juice and notably, Canton Ginger Liqueur. Pears play very well with ginger and this was no exception! Next, I made the cobbler in one of my cast iron skillets, and cast iron makes the BEST baked goods!
I'm not kidding--this was so good that Mr. Stone Soup Cook and I ate it straight out of the skillet. It was a little disgusting, but what are you gonna do? :)
Ingredients
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350*
When the oven is hot, place the butter into an 8" cast iron pan and place in the oven to melt the butter.
In a medium bowl, add diced pears, 1/4 cup sugar, ginger liqueur, lemon juice and corn starch. Toss to coat and let sit while you put together the dough for the cobbler.
In a bowl, add the flour, the 3/8 cup of sugar, baking powder and salt.
Stir to mix thoroughly. Add milk and stir until it forms a smooth batter, but don't over stir.
Take the skillet out of the oven--the butter should be melted, but not brown. Carefully pour the wet batter into the skillet on top of the butter.
Add the pear mixture into the skillet on top of the batter:
Place into oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the batter is a nice golden brown and the pears are starting to brown on top.
Enjoy with a nice, white port...or, what the heck! a little ginger liqueur over ice!
