Strawberry Cobbler with Butter Cookie Dough Topping

Since we were gifted four pounds of strawberries the other day, I decided to make a strawberry cobbler. (we had shortcakes a week or so ago, and while they were excellent, why not try something new?) This cobbler topping can be used with any of the various fruits listed here.

This is another recipe from The Best Recipe cookbook. I recommend you pick up a copy.

This cobbler has a butter cookie dough topping, about which the authors say: "Although a bit unconventional, the sweet, sugar cookie topping is our favorite. Spoonfuls of dough are dropped over the fruit filling and melt in the oven to form a golden brown crust with bits of fruit and juices bursting through in places. The topping is quite sweet, so go lightly on the sugar in the fruit filling."

Cobbler with Butter Cookie Dough Topping

serves 4 to 6

1 recipe Fruit Fillings for Cobblers
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk (use whole egg if doubling recipe)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Scrape fruit mixture with rubber spatula into 9-inch deep dish pie plate and cover with aluminum foil. Place pie plate on rimmed baking sheet and bake until fruit begins to release liquid, about 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, mix flour, baking powder, and salt together in small bowl and set aside.

3. Beat butter and sugar in medium bowl until light and fluffy, about 1 minute with electric mixer or 3 minutes by hand. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla until smooth. Stir in dry ingredients until just combined.

4. After 15 minutes, remove baking sheet with pie plate from oven, uncover pie plate, and stir fruit to combine. Drop cookie dough topping by heaping tablespoons evenly over fruit.

5. Return pie plate on baking sheet to oven. Bake until topping is nicely browned and fruit is bubbly, about 40 minutes more. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes in pan before serving. (Cobbler can be kept at room temperature for several hours and reheated just before serving.)

***NOTE*** The cobbler has good flavor, but is somewhat, shall we say, gooey. I much prefer the shortcakes to this cobbler. It would probably be better with a different fruit (apples?) than strawberries. Of course this has not stopped me from eating half of the darn thing!***