boozy pear cobbler
October 5, 2011 § 2 Comments
I marched into Publix on a bright Saturday morning prepared to load up on game-watching snacks and must-haves (i.e. beer, chips, hot dogs, etc.). I hadn’t even made it down a single aisle when, lo and behold, a shiny fruit stand overflowing with Barlett pears stood before me.
They were only $0.88 a pound. Oh, the joys of fall. I ripped a bag off of the handy baggie wheel, tossed a few in, and tied a knot to close it. Then I proceeded with the rest of my shopping, contemplating what to do with those beautiful little pears.
Later that day, TV on and friends all around, I drank a beer. (Time out — is this the second post in a row that talks about my beer drinking? Oh that’s great.) Anyways, I was drinking a Tommyknocker Maple Nut Brown Ale that we discovered in the fridge. It was then that I knew. I knew I would make a pear cobbler with the delightfully sweet taste of this maple nut beer.
However, come Sunday afternoon, (I had to wait until 12 pm to buy alcohol. Because that’s the law on Sundays in these parts.) there was no Tommyknocker to be found in our craft beer stores. So what did I use instead?
This Southern delight. Brewed and bottled in Kiln, Mississippi, Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan Nut Brown Ale proved to be a delicious complement to my crisp, ever-so-sweet-smelling pears.
So how do you make a cobbler boozy? Here’s how:
Slice up your pears into thin pieces. Then proceed to inhale their delightful aroma.
Place pears in a large bowl, and add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of beer. Set aside for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While pears are soaking, combine your dry ingredients: Sift together a cup of flour and a cup of sugar. (You’ll later be adding a cup of milk, so that’s easy to remember: A cup’a cup’a cup’a.) Then combine your wet ingredients: A cup of milk, one egg (lightly beaten), a teaspoon of vanilla, and half a stick of melted butter.
Then add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and stir until combined (batter will be a little lumpy). Then butter a 9×11-inch Pyrex dish. You could use an 8×8-inch, but it may be a bit too much with the pears and the beer. Choices, choices.
Then wonder how your boyfriend’s kitchen manages to have so many baking dish options while yours doesn’t. Then realize it’s because you’re super cheap, and you should probably invest in a few good pieces.
Pour your batter into the well-buttered dish. Then pour the pears and beer carefully into the batter. Stir a bit to spread the pears throughout the dish. Then sprinkle some sugar over the top to get a nice crisp crust. Place into the oven at 350 degrees for about an hour.
Voila! Yummm is this good. The beer cooks down, so you just get an ever-so-subtle hint of that nutty, hoppy flavor that blends perfectly with the pears—the stars of the show. Happy Fall!
Boozy Pear Cobbler
Makes 8 to 10 servings
4 medium-sized Bartlett pears
3/4 cup nut brown ale (I used Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan)
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 stick butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×11-inch baking dish. Set aside.
Slice pears into 1-inch slices. Place in large bowl, and add beer, stirring to evenly coat. Set aside for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to allow all pears to soak in beer.
In a large bowl, sift together flour and 1 cup of sugar. In a small bowl, combine milk, egg, vanilla, and butter. Add wet mixture to dry mixture, stirring until combined. Batter will be slightly lumpy.
Pour batter into prepared dish. Then, carefully pour beer and pear mixture into dish on top of batter, stirring a bit, if necessary, to evenly distribute pears. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar evenly over dish. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until crust is golden brown.
Related: Summer Flavors and a Summer Lunch
you’ve found my obsession for cobblers I see. I wish produce was cheap and decent in these parts. I find it so often to but fruit almost choking on the price and then find out 2 days later it’s no longer good. But when I get back to CA with good produce, I will be sure to try this delicious looking cobbler.
And i also have a pretty sparse baking appliance list, because I too am very cheap. (i just bought measuring cups for $1)
That looks amazing! I will definitely have to try it, we have a pear tree just ripe outside our home:)