Cobbler for a crowd - recipes

Sunset, June, 1988

Cobbler for a crowd It will be a pleased crowd. Here's a flexible approach to cobbler-making, using lots of fresh summer fruit To put together roughly--that's one dictionary definition of "cobble." Does it mean that a fruit cobbler is put together roughly? We think so; if your touch is a bit slapdash or even rankly amateur, it merely adds to a cobbler's homey, old-fashioned appeal. Cobblers lend themselves to infinite variations. But we favor ones with top crust only, lots of good fruit beneath, and tender, clear beads of tapioca to thicken the juices. Because the approach is so simple, you have a lot of flexibility. You can make a familysize cobbler or one big enough for a picnic crowd; just pick the appropriate pan size and the amount of filling and pastry to suit your needs.

Summer Fruit Cobbler Choose and prepare the fruit you want. Select a pan suited to the amount of fruit you are using; pour fruit into pan and crush about 1/4 of it with a potato masher. Add the specified amounts of sugar, tapioca, and lemon juice (if called for). Mix gently and set aside at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour. Stir occasionally; as fruit stands, juices form to soften tapioca. Meanwhile, measure ingredients for cream cheese pastry, using amounts appropriate for pan size. Put cream cheese, butter, and sugar into a bowl or food processor and beat with an electric mixer or whirl until well mixed. Add flour and mix or whirl until thoroughly blended. Pat dough out 1 inch thick; enclose in plastic wrap and chill until just firm enough to roll easily, about 30 minutes. Shape dough into a square or rectangle on a lightly floured board. With a floured rolling pin, evenly roll dough to shape pastry that measures 1 inch longer and wider than pan. Fold pastry in half and lay on top of half of fruit, then gently unfold. Fold rim of pastry under so folded edge is flush against pan sides; crimp decoratively. Cut several slashes in top of pastry to allow steam to escape. Beat 1 large egg white to blend, then brush lightly on pastry. Bake cobbler in a 350| oven (set the smaller pans on a larger rimmed pan to catch juice bubbles) until pastry is golden brown, 50 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Serve warm or cool. (The 11- by 17-inch cobbler takes about 8 hours to cool and thicken to the maximum.) If made ahead, cover and hold at room temperature up until next day; serve cool, or reheat, uncovered, in a 350| oven until warm in center, 15 to 25 minutes. An 8-inch-square cobbler serves 6; a 9- by 13-inch serves 12; an 11- by 17-inch serves 24. Per serving: 353 cal.; 3 g protein; 65 g carbo.; 10 g fat; 27 mg chol.; 91 mg sodium.

PHOTO : A big scoop of raspberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream is a great summer treat. Vary the

PHOTO : cobbler in flavor, choosing among seasonal fruits