Biscuit Toppings for Cobblers

Peach Cobbler (with Biscuit Topping)

By Cat,  July 2011 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

Includes: 1. Biscuit Topping I; 2. Biscuit Topping II; See also: 1. Cobblers, Shortcakes and Crisps Menu for fillings

These recipes are made with the presoak method. Alternately, you can use your own or one of my Shortcake Biscuit recipe sand spoon it on top of the cobbler filling, without kneading in extra flour.

Cobbler Biscuit Topping version I

This recipe is adapted from Betty Crocker’s Cookbook, Eighth Printing 1989 (1); I’ve modified it to presoak the flour. I’ve also modified it per testing of my Berry Cobbler recipe.

This recipe makes 5 – 6 biscuits.

Ingredients & Equipment:

• pre-soak:
• ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour or spelt flour
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp buttermilk or plain, unsweetened yogurt
• 2 Tbsp milk or water (less if using spelt)
• next day:
• 1 Tbsp unbleached white flour
• 3 tsp Rapadura sugar, divided
• 1 tsp baking powder (aluminum-free)
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ⅛ tsp Unrefined sea salt

Method:

1. Topping pre-soak: Sift together flour and 2 tsp sugar, then cut in butter.
2. Mix buttermilk/yogurt with water in a small bowl, then stir into flour mixture.
3. Cover bowl and let rest on counter overnight.
4. Finish topping: Sift together white flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir into flour mixture.
5. Drop dough by 4 spoonfulls onto hot cobbler mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp sugar.
6. Bake according to specific cobbler recipe.

Cobbler Biscuit Topping version I

This recipe is adapted from Pillsbury’s Dessert Cookbook from the 1970s, and is sweeter and richer than the previous recipe. I’ve modified the original to presoak the flour, and also to use part stevia extract powder in place of part of the sugar. I also modified the ingredient amounts to make 4 biscuits instead of 5 or 6.

Ingredients & Equipment:

• pre-soak:
• ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour or spelt flour
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp buttermilk or plain, unsweetened yogurt
• 2 Tbsp milk or water (less if using spelt)
• next day:
• 1 Tbsp unbleached white flour
• ⅛ tsp stevia extract powder
• 1 ½ Tbsp Rapadura sugar (or omit stevia and increase sugar to ¼ cup)
• 1 tsp baking powder (aluminum-free)
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp Unrefined sea salt

Method:

1. Topping pre-soak: Cut butter into sifted flour.
2. Mix buttermilk/yogurt with milk/water in a small bowl, then stir into flour mixture.
3. Cover bowl and let rest on counter overnight.
4. Finish topping: Sift together white flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir into flour mixture.
5. Drop dough by 4 spoonfulls onto hot cobbler mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp sugar.
6. Bake according to specific cobbler recipe.

References

1. Betty Crocker’s Cookbook, Eighth Printing 1989 (see Beloved and Oft-Used cookbooks for more info)
2. Pillsbury’s Dessert Cookbook from the 1970s