LEMONY STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB COBBLER RECIPE | EPICURIOUS.COM

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Lemony Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler Recipe | Epicurious.com image

Prep time: About 45 minutesSlow cooker time: About 4 hoursOven time: 20 to 25 minutes (can occur during the slow-cooking process)Finishing time: About 20 minutes With this juicy, flavorful dessert (slightly spicy from the peppercorns), you get the best of all worlds: the fruit cooks slowly and develops complex flavors in the slow cooker, the lemony drop biscuits turn golden in the oven, and the juices reduce on the stovetop into a thick sauce that blankets the fruit. I loved this recipe so much that I "tested" it six times! As for my children, they coined it "rhubarb dessert" and now crave rhubarb as a result. This cobbler is especially good with vanilla ice cream. For ease, zest the lemons before squeezing them for the juice. You can make the biscuits in advance, though the dessert is most delicious when the biscuits are served warm from the oven. Purchase the reddest rhubarb you can to yield a dessert with the most vivid color. Make sure to use the amount of fruit called for?it might seem like a large quantity, but the strawberries and rhubarb cook down a lot. If you'd like to serve the dessert family style, pour it into a 9- x 12-inch baking dish.

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 17

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
Zest of two lemons in strips, white pith removed (about 2 tablespoons)
8 black peppercorns
11 cups hulled and halved (or quartered if very large) strawberries (about 4 pounds)
3 cups 1/2-inch-wide pieces rhubarb, halved if really thick (6 to 7 stalks, trimmed and leaves removed)
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed, strained lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed, strained orange juice
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons chilled heavy cream, divided
Vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

Steps:

  • Prep the slow cooker and make the filling
  • Soften 1 tablespoon of butter, and use it to grease the entire inside of the slow cooker crock. Place the lemon peel and peppercorns in a cheesecloth bag and tie with kitchen string. Add this bag plus the remaining butter (cut into eight pieces) and other filling ingredients to the slow cooker, and gently mix with a wooden spoon. Cover and cook on low until the fruit is softened, about 4 hours (there will still be some liquid).
  • Make the drop biscuit topping
  • About 45 minutes before the fruit is finished, heat the oven to 400°F, and line a baking or cookie sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together the dry drop biscuit ingredients (with the exception of 1 teaspoon of the sugar) and the lemon zest in a medium-size bowl. Gently stir in 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon of the heavy cream. Use your hands to form a soft, relatively smooth dough, taking care not to overmix. Divide the dough into six balls and place on the lined baking sheet. Flatten each one to the thickness of about 1/2 inch. Then pour the remaining tablespoon of cream into a small bowl and put the remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar into another small bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush each biscuit with the cream, then sprinkle with the sugar. Bake until slightly golden and cooked through (when tested with a fork, it should come out clean), 20 to 25 minutes. Set the biscuits aside.
  • Reduce the sauce
  • Once the fruit is cooked through, carefully remove the sachet. Place a large strainer over a medium to large, heavy saucepan, then—using oven mitts—pour the fruit mixture into the strainer. Set the fruit (in the strainer) aside. Boil the liquid over high heat until reduced to 3 to 31/2 cups, about 20 minutes. Add the fruit to the pot with the thickened liquid, and mix.
  • Serve the cobbler
  • Use a ladle to divide the fruit mixture among six bowls; top each portion with a biscuit and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.
  • Spotlight on: Rhubarb
  • Rhubarb resembles red celery and in its raw state is very tart. A member of the buckwheat family, it needs to be washed and then cooked with sweetener to make it palatable. Look for bright, crisp stalks and fresh-looking leaves, but always remove the latter, since they can be toxic. Store rhubarb for up to 3 days in the fridge.
  • Reprinted with permission from Year-Round Slow Cooker by Dina Cheney, © 2013 Taunton Press

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