Recipe: Duff’s Gingerbread Cobbler

Peach might be the gold standard for cobbler, but the beauty of this all-American dessert is its adaptability. Cobbler lends itself to whatever fruit is in season, and the version currently at Duff’s is the essence of cold-weather comfort fare, with tart apples, sweetly floral pears and plump golden raisins topped with a spiced gingerbread biscuit.

Gingerbread Cobbler
Courtesy of Duff’s Jim Voss
8 servings

 
5 red Anjou pears
3 Granny Smith apples
1¼ cup sugar, divided
¼ cup lemon juice
2¼ cups flour, divided
½ cup golden raisins
1 cup apple cider
1 Tbsp. dried ground ginger
1 Tbsp. baking powder
4 Tbsp. cold cubed butter
¼ cup blackstrap molasses
1/3 cup heavy cream
Ground nutmeg
Ground cinnamon

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

• Core and dice the pears and apples into ½-inch cubes.

• Sauté the pears and apples with 1 cup of the sugar and the lemon juice over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Dust with ¼ cup flour and add the raisins. 

• Add the cider and cook for a few more minutes until the mixture becomes syrupy. Set aside.

• Combine the remaining ¼ cup sugar, 2 cups of flour, the ginger and baking powder in a food processor and pulse once or twice to combine. 

• Add the butter in stages, and pulse until a coarse mixture forms. 

• Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and add the molasses and cream. Stir just until combined. 

• Divide the fruit mixture between eight large ramekins.

• Lightly form the dough into eight disks. Top each ramekin with dough and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the tops turn golden brown. Dust with nutmeg and cinnamon.

• Serve warm with cinnamon ice cream or a generous dollop of fresh whipped cream.