Cobbler (food)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cobbler is a traditional dish in both the United States and the United Kingdom, although the meaning of the term is quite different in each country. In the United States, it is usually a dessert consisting of a fruit filling poured into a large baking dish over a batter that rises through when baking. The batter forms as a dumpling within the cobbler as well as a crust for the top. In the United Kingdom it is usually a savoury meat dish, typically a lamb casserole, which is covered with a savoury scone-like topping—each scone (or biscuit) forming a separable cobbler. Fruit-based versions are also increasingly popular in the United Kingdom—although they still retain the separate cobbler (or biscuit) topping of the meat version—and savoury or meat versions are not unknown in the United States.
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[edit] Cobbler Fillings
American Cobblers are usually filled with fresh fruit, such as apples, peaches, blackberries, or cherries. British cobblers are filled with a meat and vegetables and served as a main course. The British version is more like a casserole covered with individual cobblers (or scones); the classic British filling is lamb.
[edit] Varieties
In the United States varieties of cobbler include the Betty, the Grunt, the Slump, the Buckle, and the Sonker. The Crisp or Crumble differ from the cobbler in that the cobbler's top layer is more biscuit-like. Grunts and Slumps are a New England variety of cobbler, typically cooked on the stove-top or cooker 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. A Buckle is made with yellow batter (like cake batter), with the filling mixed in with the batter. The Sonker is unique to North Carolina: it is a deep-dish version of the American cobbler.
[edit] The Brown Betty
The American variant known as the Betty or Brown Betty dates from colonial times. In 1864 in the Yale Literary Magazine it appeared with "brown" in lower case, thus making "Betty" the proper name.[1] In 1890, however, a recipe was published in Practical Sanitary and Economic Cooking Adapted to Persons of Moderate and Small Means with the word "Brown" capitalized, making "Brown Betty" the proper name.[2] Brown Betties are made with bread crumbs (or bread pieces, or graham cracker crumbs), and fruit, usually diced apples, in alternating layers; they're baked covered, and have a consistency like bread pudding.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Brown Betty recipe at Recipe Omnibus.
