Apricot Cobbler Recipe. A crowd-pleaser that can be made ahead, it also reheats nicely for the late-night grazer.
The cobbler is very popular in the United States but, like many other fads in that country (rendition, rampant gun ownership, aerosol cheese and so forth), it hasn’t spread to the other side of the globe. This is a real pity, as cobbler – essentially, a scone topping atop a bubbling mass of fruit – is a dessert that is rich in delight but cheap in terms of effort. A crowd-pleaser that can be made ahead, it also reheats nicely for the late-night grazer. This recipe calls for Armagnac, because brandy and apricots are meant for each other, but if you want to keep it G-rated just use a squeeze of lemon juice and a tablespoon of maple syrup instead.
Serves 8
butter, for greasing
1.5 kg ripe apricots
55 g raw sugar
1 tablespoon cornflour
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
2 tablespoons Armagnac (or regular brandy)
vanilla ice cream,
Greek-style yoghurt or cream, to serve
Scone Topping
300 g (2 cups) self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
55 g raw sugar, plus 2 tablespoons extra
250 ml (1 cup) cream
130 g Greek-style yoghurt
milk, to loosen if necessary and for brushing
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Butter a roasting tin or large ovenproof dish.
Halve the apricots and remove the stones, then cut into quarters, putting them into a large bowl as you go. Sprinkle with the sugar and cornflour and toss gently, then stir in the vanilla paste and Armagnac. Tip the lot into the buttered tin or dish.
Now for the scone topping. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and stir in the sugar, then fold in the cream and yoghurt until just combined.
Don’t overmix. Turn out the dough onto a floured board and press out with floured hands to about 1.5 cm thick, sprinkling more flour on top if things start to get sticky. Using an 8 cm cutter, cut out rounds (slightly bigger or smaller is fine here; an egg ring will work nicely too). Arrange the rounds on top of the apricots, overlapping them slightly. Brush with milk and sprinkle with more sugar.
Bake for 45 minutes or until the cobbler is golden brown and the fruit is cooked. Serve with vanilla ice cream, yoghurt or cream.
Images and recipes from Special Guest by Annabel Crabb and Wendy Sharpe, Murdoch Books, RRP $39.99 Photography: Rob Palmer
