Cobblers, Crisps, Crumbles, and More - Cooking Tips

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Cobblers, Crisps, Crumbles, and More

Peach cobbler and apple crisp are just two of the many great fruit desserts that are similar to each other in that they are basically a layer of fruit baked with a layer of dough either under or on top of them. Many of these desserts were named after their appearance or a sound they made when they were baked. They are made with fruits, such as apples, peaches, blueberries, raspberries, black berries, nectarines, and plums.

Shown below are cobblers, crisps, crumbles, and similar fruit desserts and information on how they differ from each other. The recipes below are just one example of each of the different fruit desserts. Each variety has many recipes available. When searching for these different types of desserts you will see that many are very similar but may have different names. Because of the similarities, some recipes may not be named properly according to their real characteristics, and sometimes because of the variations in recipes, it is hard to make a distinction from one type to another. But, whether they are named properly or not, you will find some delicious recipes that are simple to make and provide a great way to use your summer and fall harvest of fruits.

Peach Cobbler

A cobbler is a type of deep-dish fruit dessert with a thick biscuit or pie dough crust that is prepared and then served warmed to guests. It is very similar to a pie except that the crust is thicker and it is traditionally placed only on top. However, over the years, ingredients and preparation methods have been created that bake the cobbler crust on the top for some recipes and on the bottom for others. In the United States a cobbler is typically made with fruit or berries but in the United Kingdom it is typically a meat dish. In the United States, peach, blueberry and cherry cobblers are among the most popular varieties.

Ingredients: Peach Cobbler
	3/4 c. sugar 1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch 1/2 tsp. cinnamon	6 c. fresh sliced peaches 1 1/4 tsp. lemon juice
Topping:
	1 1/3 c. flour 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar 2 tsp. baking powder	1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 c. shortening 2/3 c. milk

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the skins and pit from the peaches and cut into slices. In a saucepan large enough to hold all the peaches, combine the 3/4 c. of sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Add the peaches and lemon juice and then stir the entire mixture until the peaches are evenly coated.
Cook the peaches over medium heat, stirring continually. Cook until the mixture boils and then continue to boil for 1 minute.
Pour the peaches into a 9" square or 8" x 10" rectangle baking dish. Keep the peaches hot by placing in the oven until the topping is ready.
		Mix the topping by combining the flour, 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and stir thoroughly with a fork. Cut the shortening until the mixture is in fine crumbs. Pour in the milk and stir until all the ingredients are evenly mixed.
		Add the topping to the hot peaches by dropping spoonfuls evenly over them. There should be enough topping for 8 to 10 large spoonfuls. Place the cobbler back in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.
		When the cobbler is done, serve it warm. It can be eaten on its own or served with ice cream.
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Apple Crisp

A crisp is a sweet dessert made with baked fruit as the bottom layer, which is topped with a crumbly topping. It is commonly referred to as a "fruit crisp" or as a crisp described by the name of the fruit in the dessert, such as apple crisp, a three fruit crisp, or something similar. A typical crisp combines a variety of ingredients, which include brown sugar, oatmeal and nuts that are mixed with the butter, flour and cinnamon to create a granular topping that is spread over the baked fruit. Apple crisp is one of the most commonly prepared crisps, especially in the fall when they apples are in season, but other fruits and berries, such as peaches, pears, blueberries, and rhubarb are also used to make delicious crisps. Although it can be served cold, it is most often served as a warm dessert.

Ingredients: Apple Crisp
	6 c. sliced Granny Smith apples (approx. 6 med.) 1 1/4 c. brown sugar 3/4 c. flour 3/4 c. quick oats		1/2 c. butter or margarine 1 tsp. nutmeg 1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 x 11 baking dish. Place the sliced apples in the bottom of the baking dish and spread out evenly.
Combine all the remaining ingredients together in another bowl and mix until well blended. The mixture should have a crumbly texture.
Sprinkle the crumbly mixture evenly over the apples. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until apples are tender when poked and the topping is golden brown and crispy.
Remove from the oven and serve while warm. Serve with a scoop of ice cream for an extra delicious treat.
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Apple Crumble

A crumble is a dessert with a crumb topping made from flour, sugar, and butter combined into a mixture that is sprinkled over sliced fruit and baked. The topping is made up of basically the same ingredients as a pastry except it doesn't contain any liquid. When the crumble bakes the butter melts and mixes with the flour and sugar to create a crunchy, crumbly topping. A crumble is very similar to a crisp except that the topping for a crisp generally contains oats and often nuts, giving it a coarser texture that the crumbles toppings. The traditional crumble topping contains flour, sugar, and butter but there are many variations, which some include ingredients such as oats, nuts, and spices. As more of these ingredients are added, the crumble becomes even more similar to a crisp. A crumble also resembles a cobbler, which has a fruit filling with a top crust and no bottom crust. The difference being that top crust of the cobbler contains a leavening agent such as baking powder with gives it more of a smooth bread type texture rather than crumbly. One of the most common crumble desserts is "apple crumble", but it is also common to use blueberries, strawberries, peaches, rhubarb, and plums.

Ingredients: Apple Crumble
	6 tart apples 3/4 c. sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. nutmeg		3/4 c. flour 1/2 c. brown sugar 1/2 c. butter, cold

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Peel and core the apples. Cut the apples into thick slices and place in a 9 x 9 inch square or 9 inch round ungreased baking dish.
Combine the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in another bowl and mix until well blended. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the apple slices in the baking dish.
Combine the flour, brown sugar, and butter together in another bowl until the mixture has a crumbly texture. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the apples and then place the crumble in the preheated oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until apples are tender when poked and the topping is golden brown and crispy.
Remove from the oven and serve while warm. Serve with a scoop of ice cream or some cream.
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Blueberry Buckle

A Buckle is a sweet dessert that is made from a cake batter traditionally topped with berries, which is topped with a streusel type topping. The batter rises up as it bakes and the berries and streusel topping sink at uneven intervals, forming a buckled affect in the cake. Originally, buckle was made as a single layer cake topped with blueberries. However, over the years a variety of berries, fruits and toppings have been added to make different versions of this cake dessert. Some recipes have the berries folded into the batter and some spread the berries on top. It is also often made with blueberries and another fruit combined into the cake and topped with the streusel coating.

Ingredients: Blueberry Buckle with Fresh Berries
	1/2 c. butter, softened (do not melt) 1 c. sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp. vanilla	1 1/2 c. flour 3 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 2/3 c. milk 4 cups blueberries (2 pints)
Topping:
	1 c. sugar 2/3 c. flour 2 tsp. cinnamon	pinch of salt 3/4 c. butter, cold

Butter the bottom of a 9" x 13" cake pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter and sugar mixture and then beat until mixed in evenly.
In a small bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt together. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the batter, alternating with the milk. Mix until mixture is all blended.
Pour the batter, scraping sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, into the buttered cake pan. Spread batter out evenly to cover bottom of the pan. Spread the blueberries evenly over the batter.
Mix the topping by combining the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and stir with a fork. Cut the cold butter into diced pieces and add to the other ingredients. Use a fork to work the butter into the other ingredients until all the ingredients are a crumbly texture. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the berries. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes at 350°F.
The blueberries should be bubbling and the topping should be a golden brown when done. Serve while warm. Serve with ice cream if desired.
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Apple Brown Betty

Brown Betty is a name given to an early era baked pudding dessert made by those who came to America during the 1600's. There are now numerous variations of this dessert that use many different types of fruit, but the most well known is Apple Brown Betty or simply Brown Betty. A combination of tart apples, (Granny Smith and Gala work well or other combinations of two to three semi-tart varieties) are cut into slices and mixed with sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and lemon juice. Pieces of bread are torn and baked or browned on the stovetop in butter, basically creating breadcrumbs to be used as a layer or filling. The sweetened and seasoned fruit is then layered with the breadcrumbs to form a baked pudding of fruit and crispy breadcrumbs that is served warm and is often topped with whipped cream or ice cream.

Ingredients: Apple Brown Betty
	3/4 c. melted butter 5 c. 1/4" cubed breadcrumbs, lightly packed 7 c. sliced apples, semi-firm apples 3/4 c. brown sugar		1 tsp. cinnamon 1/8 tsp. nutmeg grated rind from 1/2 lemon 2 tbsp. lemon juice 1/2 c. water, scant

Tear bread into 1/4 inch cubes and allow them to dry completely before using. Let them air dry overnight or place them in a 225°F oven until they are completely dry. Stir occasionally and do not allow cubes to brown. French or Italian bread are good breads to use.
Butter the bottom of a 2 quart baking dish or equivalent size bakeware. Melt the 3/4 c. of butter in a skillet and add the dried cubes in after the butter is hot. Toss the bread cubes in the melted butter and cook over medium low heat until the cubes are lightly browned.
Remove the cubes from the skillet and allow them to cool completely. Place 1/3 of browned bread cubes in the bottom of the buttered baking dish.
In a bowl, mix the sliced apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon rind, and lemon juice together to distribute ingredients evenly. Pour 1/2 of the apple mixture over the layer of bread cubes in the baking dish.
Repeat with a layer of 1/2 of the remaining bread cubes over the apple mixture.
Then layer the remaining half of the apple mixture over that layer of bread.
Place the remaining bread cubes over this apple mixture for the top layer. Add the hot water to the dish.
Cover tightly with foil and bake in an oven preheated to 350°F for 25 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes. The apples should be tender and the bread browned when the Apple Brown Betty is done. Serve while warm. Top with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.
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Apple Pandowdy

A pandowdy is a sweet dessert that is made with a pastry or bread dough topping that covers a fruit base made from one or several fruits. Apple Pandowdy is the most common version of this dessert. When prepared, the dough is rolled out into thin circular or square shape matching the shape of the deep baking dish containing the fruit. Nuts, such as sliced almonds, are often added to the Pandowdy dough. The dough may be baked separately from the fruit and then added during the baking time or baked with the fruit for a short period of time, removed and scored, and then pressed into the fruit and placed back in the oven to finish baking.

If the dough is baked separately from the fruit, the fruit is mixed with brown sugar or molasses, cornstarch, and spices and then baked until tender and juicy. The baked dough topping is placed on top of the partially baked fruit mixture, pressed down slightly into the mixture and baked with the fruit until the dough is golden brown and the fruit is thick and bubbling. The dough becomes crisp and crumbly, adding a texture that enhances the fruit mixture. Very similar to a cobbler, grunt or slump, the deep-dished Pandowdy can be served as a dessert or snack that is typically warm and topped with whipped cream or ice cream.

Ingredients: Apple Pandowdy with Maple Syrup
	6 c. apple slices (approx. 6 medium size apples) 1/2 c. maple syrup 1/4 c. brown sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon	1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/4 tsp. ginger 1/4 tsp. salt 5 tbsp. butter, melted
Pie Crust Topping:
	1 1/4 cups flour 1/4 tsp. salt 2 tbsp. shortening (chilled)	4 tbsp. cold butter (cut in 1/4 inch slices) 3 to 5 tbsp. ice water

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9" x 13" baking dish. Mix pie crust topping before peeling and slicing apples.
In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt together. Using a pastry blender, cut in the chilled shortening and butter. Work the mixture only until it forms coarse crumbs that resemble tiny split peas.
Sprinkle the flour and fat mixture with 3 tbsp. of ice water and gently mix together using a fork. If the dough seems dry, add more ice water, one tablespoon at a time. Only add enough water to make the dough hold together. Mix quickly and gently. Gather the dough and form a ball but be careful that you do not overwork the dough. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with plastic, and store in the refrigerator until needed.
		Peel and slice the apples and then spread them evenly on the bottom of the butter baking dish. Pour the maple syrup over the apples to cover evenly.
		In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Stir to mix well and then sprinkle this mixture over the apples.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and flatten it into a 4 to 6 inch disc. Place the flattened dough between two pieces of wax paper and roll out evenly to 1/4" thickness.
Cut the dough into 1 inch strips and place over the apples in the baking dish. Do not worry about having even length strips of dough to place over the apples. Just fill in the length with the shorter pieces.
		Brush the dough with the melted butter and then place the baking dish in the preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes.
		Remove from the oven and gently stir or push the crust into the apple mixture. Place the pandowdy back in the oven and continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the apples are tender and the crust is nicely browned.
		When the pandowdy is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool slightly before serving. Serve while still warm. Spoon out onto a plate and serve with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.
Get Apple Pandowdy with Maple Syrup recipe.

Blueberry Grunt

A grunt is a dessert, traditionally served on America's east coast that is a combination of a pie and a cobbler. It consists of fruit, most often berries, which are cooked beneath a crust of biscuit or dumpling type dough. The Grunt was named for the echo of sounds coming from the bubbling fruit under the dough as it cooks. A Grunt is similar in preparation to the Slump with the exception that the Grunt is steam cooked and the Slump is baked.

Ingredients: Blueberry Grunt
	4 c. fresh blueberries 1 c. water 1 c. sugar 1 1/2 c. flour 2 tsp. baking powder		1 tsp. sugar 2 tbsp. grated orange peel 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. salt 3/4 c. milk

Check through the blueberries for any bad berries and discard. Combine the blueberries, water, and sugar in a medium size skillet. Cook over medium high heat until boiling. Turn heat down and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
While berries are simmering, combine the flour, baking powder, orange peel, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and stir to mix evenly. Add the milk and stir just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. The dough will be fairly thick.
After the blueberries have simmered for 20 minutes, drop the topping mixture a tablespoonful at a time on top of simmering berries in the skillet.
Cover the skillet and cook for 15 minutes or until the dumplings are done. Do not remove the cover during the cooking time.
When the grunt is done, spoon it out of the skillet on to a plate, serving while it is still warm.
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Peach Slump

A slump is a dessert that is basically the same as a grunt as far as ingredients and construction. It consists of fruit, berries, or a mixture of fruit and berries, which are cooked beneath a crust of biscuit or dumpling type dough. The difference between the grunt and the slump is that the slump is baked uncovered instead of steamed. Some recipes call of it to be cooked on the stovetop and others use the oven. The slump was given its name because when served on a plate it has a tendency to slump.

Ingredients: Peach Slump
	8 c. peaches, sliced thin 3/4 c. brown sugar	1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. almond extract
Biscuit Topping:
	1 2/3 c. flour 2 tbsp. sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. baking Soda 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 c. butter, cold 1/2 c. sour cream	Biscuit Filling: 2 tbsp. butter, melted 2 tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon

		Lightly butter the bottom and sides of an 8 x 12 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, combine the peach slices, brown sugar, cinnamon, and almond extract. Toss together until evenly mixed.
		Pour the peaches into the bottom of the buttered baking dish. Place the peaches in an oven preheated to 375°F. Bake for 20 minutes before placing the topping on them. Peaches should be hot when topping is added.
Prepare topping while peaches are baking. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl and whisk until evenly mixed. Cut the cold butter into 4 tabs and add to the dry ingredient mixture. Cut the butter into the mixture using a pastry blender or two table knives until small pea size pieces form.
Add sour cream and work into the dough until it forms one or two lumps of fairly dry dough. Place the dough on an unfloured work surface.
If there are two lumps of dough, work the dough with your hands until they are combined into one piece. The dough will be slightly sticky. Work the dough into a rectangle that is approximately 4 x 6 inches.
Place the rectangle of dough on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out to be 8 x 12 inches. Turn dough over a couple of times while rolling out and lightly flour if sticky when rolling.
Shape the edges with your finger tips to keep the dough in a nice rectangle shape. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl.
		Brush the surface of the dough with melted butter. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar evenly over the dough, leaving about an inch of dough uncovered along the 12 inch edge, opposite of where you will begin rolling.
		Roll the dough up so that the cinnamon and sugar are rolled inside the roll.
		The rolled dough should be approximately 12 inches long. When the dough is rolled up, pinch the finished edge to seal.
		Cut the roll into 12 pieces that are each approximately 1 inch wide.
Place the cut pieces of dough, cut side up, evenly on top of the peaches in the baking dish. There should be approximately an inch in between the pieces of rolled dough.
Note: if the baking dish is fairly full when you are ready to place it in the oven, it is a good idea to place a foil lined baking sheet under the baking dish to catch any overflow. Place the baking dish on the lower rack of the oven, which should be preheated to 375°F. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
The slump is done when the fruit is bubbling and the topping is well browned. Also, check topping for doneness by lifting one of the biscuits in the middle of the dish to make sure the biscuit is not still doughy. If serving warm, allow the slump to cool slightly before serving. The slump can also be cooled completely and serve at room temperature if desired.
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