Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

This is a great warm-weather dessert using one of my favorite springtime ingredients: rhubarb. These bright red stalks (to the left of the cobbler in the photo above) are inedibly tart when eaten alone, but irresistible when paired with abundant sugar and strawberries. In the spring you can find rhubarb at your local farmers market or (if you’re in Italy) you may need to special order it from your vegetable vendor.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

• 1.6 lbs (750 g) strawberries, halved with stems removed
• 1/2 lb (250 g) rhubarb, cut into 1 cm chunks (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 c (60 g) sugar, plus extra for garnishing
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 sweet buttermilk biscuit recipe (below)

Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C and butter a  9 in / 23 cm round pie dish. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and the 60 g sugar. Add strawberries and rhubarb and toss to coat, then pour filling into the prepared pie dish. Place on a rimmed baking sheet to catch overflowing juices and bake until hot and bubbly around edges, about 20-30 minutes. Taste the filling for sweetness and add more sugar if desired.

When the filling comes out of the oven, prepare the sweet buttermilk biscuit dough (recipe below). Pinch off 7-8 equal sized portions of dough and arrange over the filling. You may not need to use all the biscuit dough. Sprinkle dough with a spoonful of sugar and bake until biscuits are golden brown and filling is bubbling again, about 20 minutes. Filling may bubble over. Cool for 15 minutes and serve with ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

Serves 6-8.

Sweet Buttermilk Biscuit Topping

• 2 cups (240 g) flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 c (50 g) sugar
• 3 tbsp (40 g) butter, cut into small chunks and chilled
• 3/4 c (180 g) buttermilk (or yogurt mixed with a teaspoon of lemon juice)
• 5 cm round cookie-cutter or water glass

Combine the first five ingredients and stir well. Rub and mix in butter with your finger tips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, none larger than a pea. Alternatively, pulse with food processor, being careful not to over process.

Stir in buttermilk until dough comes together in a ball. Turn dough mixture out onto floured work surface. Pinch off 7-8 equal sized portions of dough and proceed with the cobbler recipe above.

Makes 6-8 biscuits.