Strawberry-Pear Cobbler

I made my first attempt at a gluten-free cobbler. The biscuit topping was not as perfect as I was hoping for, but it was satisfyingly biscuit-y. The fruit beneath it was nothing but delicious, with the distinctive taste of pear peeking through the tart sweetness of strawberries. It's a perfect fruit combination for this transitional season, when here in Northern California there are still juicy strawberries on sale at the farmers' market and pears and apples are fully in season. On a fatty note, I recommend using Spectrum's palm oil based shortening, as it's non-hydrogenated and has none of those much-maligned trans fats. Serve this cobbler alone or with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. And don't forget to give me your feedback, as this is the first cobbler I've ever made and definitely a work-in-progress.

Strawberry-Pear Cobbler

2 1/2 cups Pamela's Ultimate Baking & Pancake Mix* or other GF all-purpose mix
3/4 cups butter or palm oil (no trans fat) shortening
1/3 cup milk, buttermilk, or milk substitute
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 pints strawberries, cut lengthwise in thirds
2 ripe Bartlett pears, in 3/4 inch cubes
1/4 cup brown sugar or Sucanat
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a medium bowl mix the sugar, cornstarch and nutmeg. Add berries and pears, and mix thoroughly until fruit is coated with the dry ingredients. Pour fruit mixture into greased 8x8" baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix baking mix and salt. Cut shortening or butter into the baking mix, using your hands to mix until no large lumps appear. Add milk or milk substitute, and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon (the mixture will not be completely smooth).

Spoon batter over the top of the fruit, spreading over the whole dish. It will be thick, so use your hands to distribute it evenly. Leave a few small uncovered areas so that some of the liquid from the fruit can evaporate during the baking process. (Optional: Put a few pats of butter on the top of the cobbler before putting in the oven.) Shake a bit of cinnamon evenly over the top of the dough.

Bake for 30 minutes or until knife inserted in biscuit topping comes out clean and the top has browned. Serve warm.


*Edited 3/09 to add: Pamela's baking mixes are under kosher supervision but are not certified by a mainstream kosher certifying agency, so most people who keep strictly kosher kitchens will want to use another gluten-free all-purpose flour mix such as Arrowhead Mills All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Mix
. I no longer use Pamela's products in my house since I now have a more strictly kosher kitchen. If in doubt, check with your rabbi!