Look at these beauties

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. It’s been like a hundred years since I’ve been here. Cut me some slack people, I just got married. Also it’s summertime, and the restaurant is CRAZY busy this time of year. And we’ve been baking a ton of bread in our brick oven. And maybe I’m just a little lazy. So what. But now I’m here! And I have a recipe for you! So let’s forget about my absence, and just move forward, shall we?

Every summer I wait very impatiently for my very favorite fruit in all of the world to arrive on the produce scene: Santa Rosa Plums. They’re here and gone in less than a month. In fact, I made this cobbler last week and I’m a little worried that, for your sake, they may already be gone. Not to worry my friends! I’m sure this recipe will be (almost) equally delicious with any dark plum. The riper the better.

My dad made cobblers all the time when I was a kid, and plum was by far our favorite. I love the combination of plums and raspberries, and have a nasty habit of putting cardamom in all things stone fruit. My husband has officially banned it’s use in his portions of our late night dessert binges, that may or may not take place on a nightly basis. Do what you will, but I love it. Love it.

Eat me

I know. The anticipation must be killing you! So here it is, without further ado, the recipe:

Santa Rosa Plum and Raspberry Cobbler

The recipe for the cobbler top may seem a little strange as it calls for hard boiled egg yolks, but trust me, it will change lives. It comes from Claudia Flemming, and I think it’s pretty safe to say; that woman knows what she’s doing.

For the dough:

• 6 ounces chilled butter, cut into cubes
• 1 # all purpose flour
• 3 hard boiled egg yolks
• 3 1/2 ounces sugar
• 1 1/4 ounces baking powder
• 1 3/4 cup heavy cream, cold
• 1 tsp kosher salt

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, salt,  and baking powder. Push the yolks through a fine mesh sieve, tapping the sieve on the rim of the bowl to release as much of the yolk from the mesh as possible. Toss the sieved yolk with the sifted dry ingredients. Add cubed butter and using your hands (or a food processor) squish (or pulse) the butter between your fingers until it’s about the size of a pea. Add all of the cream at once and mix until the dough just comes together. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until thoroughly cold, about an hour. This makes enough dough for at least 2 cobblers. It can be frozen for a few weeks. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before using.

For the filling:

• 1 # 6 ounces Santa Rosa Plums (weighed after pitted, about 12 medium plums)
• 6 ounces raspberries
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cardamom (unless, of course, your husband hates it.)
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp butter, cut into small cubes
• cream, for brushing the top and raw sugar for sprinkling

Slice plums into 1/2″ slices. Toss all ingredients (except cream and raw sugar) in a bowl and pour into an 8″x8″ square baking dish or a medium (10″ or so) round ceramic dish. Roll out about half of the dough to 1/2″ thickness. Using a cookie cutter or the rim of a glass, cut enough circles to cover the top of the fruit. Brush the top with cream and sprinkle heavily with raw sugar. Bake at 375 (conventional oven) for about 40 minutes, or 325 (convection oven) for about 30 minutes. The cobbler will be golden brown on top and thick and bubbly around the edges when it’s done.