Cobbler (food)

Cobbleris a dessert consisting of a fruit (or less commonlysavory) filling poured into a large baking dish and covered with abatter,biscuit, ordumpling(in the United Kingdom) before being baked. Cobbler is part of the cuisine of theUnited KingdomandUnited States, and is similar to acrumbleor acrisp. However, traditional cobbler differs from both of these by the presence of a leavening agent such asbaking powderorbaking soda. Cobblers made in this way can be viewed as a hybrid ofpieandcake. Some cobbler recipes, especially in theAmerican South, resemble a thick-crusted, deep-dishpiewith both a top and bottom crust that lack leavening and are less cake-like.
Cobblers originated in theBritish American colonies.Englishsettlers were unable to make traditionalsuet puddingsdue to lack of suitable ingredients and cooking equipment,so instead covered a stewed filling with a layer of uncooked plainbiscuits, scone batter ordumplings, fitted together.The origin of the namecobbler, recorded from 1859, is uncertain: it may be related to the archaic wordcobeler, meaning "wooden bowl",or the term may be due to the topping having the visual appearance of a 'cobbled' stone pathway. The verbcobblemeans to assemble from available parts, which can be used to describe using scraps of pie crust or leftover scone or biscuit to combine with whatever filling or fruit was readily available.
Note thatcrispandcrumblediffer from the cobbler in that the former's top layers may also include rolled oats made withoatmeal.
Grunts, pandowdy, and slumps areCanadian Maritimes,New Englandand Pennsylvania Dutch (Apple Pan Dowdy) varieties of cobbler, typically cooked on the stovetop, or in an iron skillet or pan, with the dough on top in the shape of dumplings. They reportedly take their name from the grunting sound they make while cooking. Another name for the types of biscuits or dumplings used isdough-boys. Dough-boys are used in stews and cobblers alike.
In the United States, additional varieties of cobbler include the apple pan dowdy (an apple cobbler whose crust has been broken and perhaps stirred back into the filling), theBetty(see below), the buckle (made with yellow batter [like cake batter] with the filling mixed in with the batter), the dump (ordump cake),the grump, the slump, and the sonker.  The sonker is unique toNorth Carolina: it is a deep-dish version of the American cobbler.
Cobblers most commonly come in single fruit varieties and are named as such, e.g. blackberry, blueberry, and peach cobbler. The tradition also gives the option of topping the fruit cobbler with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream.Savory cobblers are less common in the region; for example, tomato cobbler, which may include onion and a biscuit topping that may include cheese or cornmeal, is one savory variant that also resemblesSouthern tomato pie.Old California orchard cuisine features peach, pear, apricot, and, most prized by many,Black Tartarian cherrycobblers.
The Texas Legislature designated peach cobbler as the official cobbler of Texas in 2013.
The American variant known as the Betty or brown Betty dates from at least the early 19th century.In 1864, in theYale Literary Magazine, it appeared with "brown" in lower case, thus making "Betty" the proper name.In 1890, however, a recipe was published inPractical Sanitary and Economic Cooking Adapted to Persons of Moderate and Small Meanswith the word "Brown" capitalized, rendering "Brown Betty" the proper name.
Brown Betties are made with breadcrumbs (or bread pieces, orgraham crackercrumbs), and fruit, usually diced apples, in alternating layers. They are baked covered and have a consistency likebread pudding.
In themidwestern United States,apple Bettyis often a synonym forapple crisp.
In theUKandCommonwealth of Nations, thescone-topped cobbler predominates, and is found in both sweet and savory versions. Common sweet fillings include apple,blackberry, and peach. Savory versions, such as beef, lamb,or mutton, consist of acasserolefilling, sometimes with a simple ring of cobbles around the edge, rather than a complete layer, to aid cooking of the meat. Cheese or herb scones may also be used as a savory topping.
Cobblers and crumbles were promoted by theMinistry of Foodduring theSecond World War, since they are filling, yet require less butter than a traditional pastry, and can be made withmargarine.