Sangria Cobbler

As alcoholic beverages go, I find sangria to be extremely gentle and benign. After all, it’s more fruit than anything else.  With that in mind, the concept of a sangria-inspired cobbler makes perfect sense. The list of suitable fruits is long; oranges, lemons, limes, apples, peaches, melons of any kind, berries, pineapples, grapes, and mangoes are just the beginning. For this particular cobbler, I chose peaches, cherries (totally worth the trouble of pitting), apples, and a citrus combination of lemon and orange. With all those sweet fruits, the amount of sugar you need to add is practically negligible.

Definitely a cobbled cobbler.

If I’m being honest, I prefer a crumble or crisp topping to this more biscuit-like version, but it’s still tasty. What makes it acceptable, nay, enjoyable is that orange-scented sugar that’s sprinkled on top–what a great touch. This is a fine dessert as it is, but it’s even better warmed and with a massive scoop of vanilla ice cream melting down all over it.

Cobbled Fruit and Wine
Ingredients:
For the filling:

• 1-1/2 pounds peaches, peeled, stoned, and chopped
• 1-1/2 cups cherries, pitted
• 1 medium apple, diced into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 medium orange, juiced and zested (1/2 teaspoon of zest reserved)
• 1 lemon, juiced and zested
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

For the topping:

• 1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place a 7×11″ baking dish or one of similar size on a paper-lined baking sheet and spray it down with nonstick spray.

Put the fruit in a medium bowl with the orange juice and zest (remember to reserve some zest!), and lemon juice and zest.

Whisk the wine, sugar, and cornstarch together and pour it over the fruit, tossing to mix everything.

Transfer the fruit mixture to the baking dish, scraping everything from the bowl.

To make the topping, whisk the flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in that same bowl, making a well in the dry ingredients.

Add the egg, butter, and buttermilk, and mix with a fork until smooth.

Spoon or drop the topping over the top of the fruit.

In a small bowl, mix together the reserved orange zest with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Sprinkle the orange-scented sugar over top of the dough.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling viciously at the edges and the biscuit topping is nicely browned.