This pear and rhubarb cobbler combines sweet pears with tangy rhubarb and a fluffy cobbler topping for a warming dessert that's perfect for cozying up on the couch.
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What is a fruit cobbler?
Fruit cobblers are baked dishes with a layer of fruit on the bottom, topped with a layer of dropped biscuit (United States) or dumpling (UK). Even the term 'biscuit' here is somewhat confusing. In America theses often refer to fluffy sweet or savoury items that the UK and Australia would more commonly refer to as scones.
The exact origins of the term cobbler is unknown, but is thought by some to come from the fact the round topping resembled street cobbles.
In my version here its all made in one pan, so there's less dishes to do. Unlike traditional scones or biscuits uses thickened cream instead of butter there is not rubbing in of butter needed. You just mix the dry ingredients and add the cream!
What is rhubarb?
Rhubarb is technically a vegetable however is often used as a fruit in baked desserts. It has a tangy, sour, slightly sweet taste. The plant itself has big flat leaves and long, fleshy stalks that are usually crimson red but can also be pink and even green. The leaves are poisonous but you would would have to eat a lot to get sick. Rhubarb is typically very productive once established and easy to grow, so its a common addition to many vegetable gardens.
🥘 Ingredients
Pears: you can use whatever pears you like in this recipe, just make sure they are ripe and starting to soften, not rock hard.
Rhubarb: usually sold in bundles of stalks from some supermarkets and fruit and veg stores, with or without the leaves still attached. Look for fresh, firm, fleshly stalks.
Self raising flour: is plain flour with baking powder added to it. If you can not get self raising flour you can make your own by adding two teaspoons of baking power to one cup of self raising flour and mix well to ensure its evenly distributed throughout the flour.
Thickened cream: it doesn't matter what sort, it just needs to be about 35% fat.
🔪 How to make the cobbler
This cobbler is made in a cast iron dutch oven for easy one pan dessert you can serve straight at the table. If you don't have a cast iron dutch oven you can soften the fruit in a pot and transfer to a regular baking dish for baking. First pre-heat the oven and make the fruit filling, then make the cobbler topping to go on top.
To make the fruit filling
Cut the leaves off the rhubarb if still attached and discard. Never eat rhubarb leaves, they are poisonous. Wash the rhubarb stalks and trim the ends. If the stalks are particularly woody you can remove the fibrous outer layer, particularly the inner flat edge as shown.
Cut the stalks into approx ½ inch (1.5cm) pieces and add to the cast iron dutch oven.
Peel and core the pears and cut into pieces. Add to the pan with the rhubarb and a splash of water. Cook for about five minutes on a medium heat until just starting to soften. Turn off heat and leave to cool while you make the cobbler topping
To make the cobbler topping
Mix the flour, sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Add the cream and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
For a pretty cobbler, dust a bench well with flour, tip out the cobbler topping and generously dust with flour again. Gently pat down the dough until its about ½ (1cm) thick. Dust a round scone cutter with flour and carefully cut out round 'cobbles' to top the cobbler with. Dust with extra flour as needed as the dough will be very sticky.
Alternatively spoon the cobbler topping onto the fruit in blobs of approximately one table spoon each. It wont be as pretty but it will still taste delicious!
Put into the preheated oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown.
🥣 How to serve
Remove from oven, scoop into serving bowls and enjoy! Delicious with a scoop of my sour cream ice cream or no churn vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or both! With all that lovely baked fruit you could just about eat it for breakfast 🙂
💭 How to store
This cobbler is best eaten fresh from the oven. It will keep covered in the fridge for up to three days. I do not recommend freezing this cobbler as I find the topping can go soggy when reheating.
Have you made this recipe? Tell me how it went in the comments below and tag me on instagram or Facebook so I can see your delicious creations! #KCAEIC
Remember to like Keep Calm and Eat Ice Cream on Facebook for more delicious recipes!
📖 Looking for more yummy dessert recipes?
Why not try making
- Apple crumble (apple crisp)
- Nectarine tart
- Rhubarb tart with custard by A Baking Journey
📋 Recipe
Pear and rhubarb cobbler
Equipment
- Cast iron Dutch oven for the stove and oven OR a baking dish
Ingredients
Fruit filling
- 1 bunch (1lb/ 450gms) rhubarb stalks
- 4 medium (2.9lbs or 1kg) ripe pears
- upto ¼ cup (60gms) castor sugar *optional
Cobbler topping
- 1 & ½ cups (225gms) self raising flour
- ¼ cup (60gms) castor sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 & ⅓ cups (330ml) thickened cream
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 390°F (200°C). Make the fruit filling first then make the cobbler topping
To make the fruit filling
- Make sure the leaves are cut off the rhubarb stalks. Do not eat rhubarb leaves, they are poisonous.
- Wash the rhubarb and trim the ends. If your rhubarb is very woody you may want to peel off the outer fibrous layer or at least the flat inner edge.
- Cut the rhubarb into ½ (1.5cm) pieces.
- Peel and core the pears and cut into bite size chunks. Add the rhubarb pieces and pear to the cast iron pan with a dash of water
- Cook fruit for about five minutes until it is just starting to soften, watching to ensure it does not dry out. Taste the mix and add sugar if needed. Set aside to cool while you make the cobbler topping
To make the cobbler topping
- Add the flour, salt and sugar to a bowl and mix
- Add cream and mix until a thick, shaggy dough forms.
To assemble the cobbler
- Optional: for pretty circle topping, flour a the bench well, turn out dough, flour again and gently pat down. Flour a large scone cutter and cut out large scone shapes to top the cobbler with. The dough will be very sticky so dust with flour as needed.
- For an easier topping spoon the cobbler topping in over the fruit filling in blobs.
- Put into the oven and bake for 25 mins or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and enjoy! Delicious with a scoop of my sour cream ice cream or some whipped cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online database. The nutritional content of ingredients may vary by brand. If you require accurate nutritional information, you should calculate this based on the specific brands and products you are using.
Sylvie
Love the combination of rhubarb and pears - I have never tried it but it sounds absolutely delicious! What a comforting dessert, yum!!
Robyn
This is such a lovely comforting winter dessert, my gran used to make it all the time so it brings back many happy memories.
Jaimie
Perfect excuse to pull out some ice cream during winter. This sounds delicious, what a great combination!
Rachi
Love the combo, never tried it, I am sure the bitterness of the rhubarb blends perfectly well with the slight sweetness of the pear. Will need to give it a try 🙂