Strawberry Shortcake Cobbler

 

Strawberry shortcake: great in theory, a little annoying in practice. I’d better like you a lot if I’m going to make you an individually assembled dessert. But this cobbler gets at the point (tender, buttery shortcake; juicy, lightly sweetened strawberries), and it gets at it in a more efficient and, dare I say, delicious way. The shortcakes get baked right on top of the strawberries, so by the time they’re golden brown and perfect, the strawberries have given up a bit of their juices, which roast with just enough sugar to create a gloriously delicious, syrupy sauce. Two birds, one cobbler.

YIELD — 6 servings

 

Ingredients

SHORTCAKES

  • 1 ¼ cups/ 181 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface

  • ½ cup/78 grams coarse yellow cornmeal

  • 2 tablespoons/ 27.5 grams light brown sugar

  • 2 tablespoons/ 25 grams granulated sugar

  • 1 tablespoon/ 12 grams baking powder

    ¾ teaspoon/2 grams kosher salt*

  • ½ cup/ 113 grams (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, at room temperature

  • ½ cup/113.5 grams heavy cream

FILLING

  • 5 cups/ 750 grams strawberries (about 2 quarts), hulled and halved

  • ½ cup/ 100 grams granulated sugar 2 tablespoons/ 14 grams cornstarch

  • 1 tablespoon/ 14.5 grams fresh lime or lemon juice

  • 2 tablespoons/ 14 grams heavy cream

  • 2 tablespoons/ 27.5 grams light brown sugar

    *kosher salt conversion based on Diamond Crystal kosher salt 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

2. Make the shortcakes: In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using your hands, rub the butter into the flour mixture until no large chunks remain. Add the cream and mix with your hands just until blended. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough just until it’s no longer super sticky, about 2 minutes.

3. Using your hands, form the dough into a circle about 1 inch thick. Using a 2-inch cookie cutter (or an approximation thereof—I use water glasses, mason jars, whatever), punch out as many shortcakes as you can. Re-pat the scraps to 1 inch thick and repeat until all the dough is used. Set the shortcakes aside while you prepare the filling (transfer to the refrigerator if they feel too soft). 

4. Make the filling: In a medium bowl, toss the strawberries with the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Transfer the berries to a 9-inch cast-iron skillet, pie dish, or cake pan (a 9 x 13-inch baking dish will also work in a pinch) and top with the shortcakes. 

5. Brush the tops of the shortcakes with the cream and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Bake until the shortcakes are golden brown and the juices of the strawberries have thickened and bubbled up around the edges of the skillet, 25 to 30 minutes.

6. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before digging in (this will not only prevent unnecessary mouth burns, but letting it cool a bit will help set the juices so it’s not too runny). 

sweets / baked things, newsletterAlison RomanNewsletterComment