Can we all agree backyard fruit crops are splendid? My neighbor’s apricot tree is having a bumper crop this year. And lucky for me, there are several large branches filled with fruit, and growing on my side of our fence! They are just about ready to harvest, and even after sharing with our voracious Piedmont squirrels, there will be enough to enjoy for our upcoming 4th of July barbeque.
What I love about apricots is their tartness, which I strive to retain when I prepare them in desserts. Similar to citrus desserts, I’m judicious when it comes to sweetening. Just a little; cautious so that the sweet does not overpower the tartness.
I’ve been using Lafaza vanilla products since they came on my radar last year. The flavor has me hooked! Madagascar vanilla has a fruity, creamy and sweet flavor. It’s the old-time vanilla flavor that is familiar to me; the one by which I measure other vanillas from Mexico, Tahiti, etc. They’re all delicious in their own right, but Madagascar vanilla tastes like home to me.
This rustic dessert is a delightful way to highlight summer’s fresh fruit bounty. Here we’re featuring apricots, but any stone fruit should do nicely too. Go ahead – mix and match up a couple of fruits to fill the pan, as often happens when I put a summer dessert together with whatever I have on hand.
A few advance tips
- Make sure the butter and heavy cream are well chilled. You can also pre-chill the mixing bowl in the freezer if your kitchen is warm.
- Warm kitchen trick: Place your working bowl in a larger one filled with an inch or two of iced water. This will help prevent the butter from melting. Soft/melty butter = flat, dense topping.
- Avoid using really soft apricots as they will turn to mush during the 45 minutes of baking.
- Keep the balls of dough on the smaller side, and don’t overcrowd them. This allows for steam to escape from the bubbling apricots and ensures the dough will bake thoroughly too.
- The shape of the pan doesn’t matter so much, just be sure it has plenty of surface area to place the dough atop. This is not the time to use a narrow loaf pan…
Apricot Vanilla Cobbler
Makes one 9-inch pan
INGREDIENTS
For the cobbles (topping)
- 1-1/ 2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/ 4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/ 8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon Lafaza ground vanilla
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/ 2-inch cubes, cold
- 7/ 8 cup heavy cream, chilled
- 1 tablespoon (scant) Turbinado sugar for topping (course ground, raw sugar)
For the fruit
- 2-1/ 4 pounds firm-ripe apricots, pitted and halved (or quartered if large)
- 1/ 4 cup granulated sugar, to taste
- 2 teaspoons quick cooking, granulated tapioca
- 1/ 4 teaspoon Lafaza ground vanilla
INSTRUCTIONS
- Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Place a large flat baking sheet on it, for catching any bubbling juices as the cobbler bakes. Make sure your cobbler pan fits flat onto the baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Gently toss the apricots, sugar, tapioca and ground vanilla in a 9-inch deep dish pie pan or a shallow 1-1/ 2 quart baking dish. Make sure all ingredients are well distributed. Set aside while you prepare the topping.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and ground vanilla in a medium bowl. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or two knives. Mix until coarse crumbs are formed. Pour in the chilled heavy cream and stir until the dough barely sticks together. It will be a bit messy, and the flour will not be fully incorporated.
- Drop walnut-sized balls of dough (about 1-1/ 2” rounds) over the apricot mixture, being careful to not overcrowd the pan. Sprinkle the Turbinado sugar over the dough. Bake until the apricots are bubbling and the top is deep golden brown, about 40-45 minutes.
- Serve with softly whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or all on its own. It’s all good.
