A Warm Take on a Frozen Indulgence
After the kids are in bed, Molly sometimes enjoys chocolate-covered cherry ice cream pops in front of the TV. This cobbler turns that late-night pleasure into a warm, baked dessert.
Info
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
Cherry Filling
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for greasing the pie dish
- 4 cups (720 grams) fresh or frozen pitted cherries, thawed, with 1/3 cup cherry juice reserved
- 1 tablespoon (9 grams) cornstarch
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Zest of 1/2 lemon plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Cobbler Topping
- 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
- 1/2 cup (1 stick; 113 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 6 ounces (168 grams) semisweet chocolate, cut into chunks (about 3/4 cup), divided
- 1/2 cup cold heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the filling: Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch high-sided pie dish or ceramic baking dish.
- Make the cherry mixture: In a large bowl, whisk the reserved cherry juice (or 1/3 cup water if using fresh cherries) with the cornstarch until smooth. Stir in the cherries, granulated sugar, almond extract, salt, and lemon zest and juice. Mix well. Pour into the prepared pie dish and set aside.
- Mix the topping: In another large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar. Toss with a fork. Add the butter pieces and use a pastry blender (or your fingers) to cut the butter into the flour until it looks like very small peas or oatmeal flakes. Add most of the chocolate chunks (reserve a small handful for the top) and toss to combine.
- Finish the dough: In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, vanilla, and egg. Pour over the dry ingredients and stir with a fork just until the dough comes together. You may need to use your hands for the last few strokes—the dough should not look dry, but avoid overmixing.
- Assemble and bake: Use an ice cream scoop to drop the topping over the cherry mixture in about 9 mounds. Scatter the reserved chocolate and the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar over the top. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet to catch drips. Bake for 40 minutes, then cover loosely with foil and continue baking until the cobbler is golden brown, puffed, and cooked through, and the cherries are bubbling, about 10 minutes more. Cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm (not hot) in bowls with scoops of vanilla ice cream.
- Storage: The cobbler is best served warm soon after baking. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; you may want to rewarm before serving.
