Who can resist taking a spoonful of intensely flavorful, warm summer fruits topped with biscuit-y dough?
Here ripe peaches are baked with deliciously tangy raspberries, topped with dough that's soft, but also a bit short (almost like shortbread), and served with a dollop of Chantilly spiked with Cointreau and orange bitters. Every mouthful is dreamy.
As any mixologist will tell you, bitters are indispensable when mixing cocktails, but I love to use them in recipes too. They're perfect, for example, in this Chantilly, complementing the Cointreau while adding an extra layer of flavor to the whipped cream.
Not only are cobblers easy to assemble, they can also be concocted with any summer stone fruits or berries, making them an incredibly versatile dessert. Just let your imagination or your local harvest inspire you to create your own delectable version.
Here's to summer fruits and to the deliciousness they bring to your table!
Peach-Raspberry Cobbler with Cointreau Chantilly
Serves 6
Active time: 30 min
For the dough
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons organic sugar
pinch sea salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 oz) (55 g) - cold, cut in 1″ chunks
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the fruits
2 lbs (905 g) ripe peaches (8 medium) - pitted, quartered and cut in 1/2" slices
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup organic sugar
2 tablespoons Cointreau
2 tablespoons cornstarch
12 oz (340 g) raspberries - rinsed and patted dry
For the Chantilly
2/3 cup heavy cream - well chilled
2 tablespoons organic sugar
2 tablespoons Cointreau
1/4 teaspoon orange bitters (optional)
1 medium ceramic baking dish (12" x 9") - buttered
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
Step 1: Place the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process at high speed for 15 seconds until well blended. Add the chunks of butter, making sure they do not touch each other. Pulse until the butter becomes a very fine crumb. Place the heavy cream and vanilla in a small bowl and drizzle evenly on the crumbly mixture. Continue pulsing until the dough comes together. Remove the dough from the bowl and gather into a ball. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Step 2: In a large bowl, combine the peaches, lemon juice, sugar, and Cointreau. Sprinkle with the cornstarch and mix well with your hands. Add the raspberries and carefully mix again with your hands, being careful not to crush the berries. Set aside.
Step 3: Place the peach mixture into the prepared mold. Unwrap dough and roll it out on a floured surface into a 1/2″ thick circle. Press a 2 3/4″ round cookie cutter into the dough to form 6 circles (make the last circle using the scraps). Lay the circles on top of the peaches. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the dough is golden-brown and the fruits are bubbly.
Step 4: While the cobbler is baking, make the Chantilly. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream, sugar, Cointreau and bitters at medium speed until the cream begins to thicken. Do not overbeat or the cream may turn into butter. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Cook's note: The Chantilly can be refrigerated for up to 12 hours.
Step 5: Remove cobbler from oven and let cool for 15 minutes, until warm. Spoon cobbler in dessert bowls, top with a dollop of Chantilly and serve.
Cook's note: The cobbler can be made up to 6 hours ahead, and kept at room temperature in a cool place. To re-heat, bake for 6 to 8 minutes at 350ºF (177ºC) until just warmed. The cobbler can also be refrigerated up to 2 days, although refrigeration will make the dough a bit soggy.