An old-fashioned, colonial dessert with a cornmeal biscuit topping, these Peach and Plum Johnnycake Cobblers are a fabulous summer indulgence!

Individual Fruit Cobblers are perfect for company! Everyone loves having their own dessert! Plus, you can use whatever stone fruit is in season. This recipe is very adaptable.

Johnnycake cobbler in a white ceramic crock

Peach and Plum Johnnycake Cobblers

The term johnnycake brings a vision of old-fashioned Americana. Dating back to the 1700s, it typically refers to a rustic pancake made with cornmeal. These Peach and Plum Johnnycake Cobblers take the usual fruit filling and add a johnnycake-inspired biscuit topping with the crunch of cornmeal. The recipe in Baking with Julia calls for a combination of nectarines and plums but allows for improvising with your favorite fruits. I think peaches would be a magnificent option.

Peach and Plum Johnnycake Cobblers in white ceramic baking dishes

Why You’ll Love this Summer Fruit Cobbler

  • You can easily make half a batch with 2-3 servings depending on your fruit supply.
  • Use any stone fruit, apples, or even berries depending on what is in season.
  • Use any oven-safe dish to bake these in. I used soup bowls with handles!

I cut this recipe in half and made just two servings…as we still had chocolate mousse and a marbled flourless chocolate cake in the fridge. My filling, a melange of local peaches and purple plums, was precooked with butter and sugar, then divided between the baking dishes. A teaspoon of minced fresh ginger root was added to the cream moistened biscuit topping…which provided a subtle zing in every tender bite. The hubby had his with a dollop of whipped cream and I indulged sans toppings, and we both approved. These are best served shortly after they emerge from the oven.

To see what my other blogger friends thought of these Peach and Plum Johnnycake Cobblers, check the Tuesdays with Dorie site.

Johnnycake cobblers

Peach and Plum Johnnycake Cobbler

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Yield 6 servings

Peach and Plum Johnnycake Cobblers - a rustic cobbler with a corn meal biscuit topping

Ingredients

For The Fruit:

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 6 cups sliced stone fruit (9-12 pieces of fruit), nectarines and purple plums recommended (I used peaches instead of nectarines)

For biscuit topping:

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal (I used white, but yellow is fine)
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (use 1/3 less if using table salt)
  • 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) cold, unsalted butter,cut into 12 pieces
  • 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Instructions

For fruit:

  1. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add sugar, stir and add the fruit. Cook until the fruit softens and the juices thicken. Remove from heat until ready to assemble the cobblers.

For biscuit topping:

  1. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender or your fingertips it resembles cornmeal. Fold in the heavy cream (or milk). The batter will be thick. If it's too thin, add the extra 1/4 of the cornmeal.

To assemble cobblers:

  1. Divide fruit between baking 4-6 baking containers (about 1 cup capacity)
  2. Then divide up the biscuit mixture and top each cobbler with equivalent amounts.
  3. Preheat oven to 425º. Bake for about 12-14 minutes on a foil-lined baking sheet. I turned my oven down to 350º and cooked for 5 minutes more as my topping was thick.
  4. Let the cobblers cool slightly before serving. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.

Notes

Adapted from Johanne Killeen in Baking with Julia

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1 cobbler

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 625Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 774mgCarbohydrates: 77gFiber: 5gSugar: 36gProtein: 8g

HOW MUCH DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?

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