Strawberry Cobbler

Oh, the lure of fresh strawberries.  They are in the grocery, they smell so delicious, but if you bring them home and eat them, they taste like nothing.  I have learned, over years and years of buying tasteless strawberries, to smell them and move on.  Then I buy frozen strawberries and make something.  I don't like frozen strawberries to just eat, they need to be cooked.  But I crave the taste of strawberries.  This cobbler is the perfect thing.

The original recipe calls for fresh strawberries, so I'll have to try this again when I can get fresh strawberries locally, but the frozen strawberries are perfect.  They bake up sweet, juicy and delicious.  I just put the frozen strawberries in the batter, I didn't even have to let them thaw.  It does add to the baking time though, so watch for that.

I fixed this for dessert on Sunday, but I had not taken into account the extra baking time for the frozen berries, so my mother in law and brother in law left before it came out of the oven, which means I have to eat it all myself.

Start to finish: 10 minutes prep; 45 to 50 minutes bake
adapted from Toledo Blade

1 stick ( 1/2 cup) butter

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 quarts whole strawberries, capped and washed

4 ounces Neufchatel cheese, cut in small pieces

Plain Greek yogurt or vanilla ice cream for serving, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and pour into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together the egg, milk, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pour directly over the butter in the baking dish, but do not stir.

Add the strawberries, arranging in a single layer as much as possible. Sprinkle cream cheese pieces over strawberries. Place in preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until top is golden brown and edges are bubbling. (Crust rises up and around the fruit, but fruit will still peek out of top.)

Serve hot out of the oven with choice of topping, if desired.

Yield: 10 servings

February 28, 2013    Daylight 10 hours, 3 minutes, 37 seconds     Temp.  H 18/ L -6°F