Easy Strawberry Cobbler

Ingredient list

• Strawberries: seasonal sweet strawberries are always my first choice, and you should use fresh fruit if possible. It's also cheaper, and you can grab amazingly red, juicy strawberries for a great price because a ton of fresh berries suddenly appear on the market. But frozen ones also work. Don't refrain from eating this great dessert year-round!
• White, granulated sugar.
• Cornstarch: it helps thicken the strawberry juice that is released during baking, creating a wonderful syrup.
• Citrus: we need acid to balance the sugar and butter. I use orange zest and lemon juice, but you can use only one citrus, even lime. If you only use lemon or lime, the flavor will be sharper.
• Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works. 
• Unsalted butter: if you have salted butter, omit the amount of salt in the recipe.
• Buttermilk: the tanginess balances the dessert and makes the topping more tender.
• All-purpose flour.
• Salt: I like to use kosher salt when baking. But regular table salt works just fine.
• Baking powder: make sure it's not expired. It's needed to help the biscuit dough rise in the oven.

See the recipe card towards the end of this post for quantities.

Variations & substitutions

• Brown sugar: I change to light brown sugar sometimes because it adds a wonderful caramel flavor.
• Citrus: strawberries pair well not only with orange but also with lime zest and lemon zest, or a mix of all.
• Boozy dessert: to make it more sophisticated, add a few tablespoons of golden rum, champagne or prosecco, or rose wine to the filling.

How to make a strawberry cobbler

This easy cobbler recipe is a fruit dessert that comes together quickly and uses simple ingredients.

Strawberry layer

• Small pieces of fruit: you want to eat this dessert with a spoon and not have to cut large chunks or whole strawberries.
• Cornstarch: you must dissolve it first before drizzling it over the strawberries. I do it in lemon juice. If you don't want to use juice, use a tablespoon of water.
• Mixing the ingredients: I do it directly in the baking pan (no need to wash yet another bowl!), but you can use a large bowl and then dump it all into the baking dish.

Biscuit topping

I like biscuit dough because it's soft and fluffy inside but turns golden brown and crunchy on top.

One-bowl mixing: a medium bowl and a spoon are all you need. Mix the dry ingredients (flour mixture and sugar) with the wet ingredients until no dry spots remain, but don't overmix or beat it. Biscuits need a light touch to stay tender after they're baked.

Cobbler topping: drop mounds or spoonfuls of dough on top of the fruit. Leave space between them so the dough bakes comfortably while the juices bubble up.

Baking the cobbler

• Make sure you have the right pan size. This is important if you don't want the filling to overflow before the biscuit topping is fully baked. If it does overflow (it happens) put a piece of foil on the bottom of the oven to catch the spilled juices.
• When is it done? The top will get golden brown and the strawberry layer bubbling. But always lift the dough here and there with a fork to check that it's completely baked inside. There should be no wet parts at all.

Family style desserts

Cobblers are baked in ceramic or glass dishes and then taken to the table. They are not removed from the pan. Similar to dump cakes.

What type of dish to use 

Choose a nice baking dish you like to showcase on the table.

For me, ceramic ones are the best (I use my favorite Emile Henry small ceramic rectangular dish whenever possible). There are several rectangular ceramic dishes, porcelain bakeware sets, glass baking dishes, or round ceramic baking dish that work.

Also, a cast-iron skillet fits this type of dessert if you like the Southern way.