Mini Cherry Cobblers

A hearty recipe to go with a hearty welcome to all of my new followers!  First of all, thank you for following along on this journey!  Your support means everything to me!  And now, for this hearty recipe…

When there’s 90+ degree weather for consecutive days, all warm-from-the-oven cobblers must be offset with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream.  Caramel ice cream would do as well.  And these cute-as-pie “Mini Cherry Cobblers” are no exception. 

These are deceptively easy to make.  I did a lattice crust, because I’ve decided that lattice shouldn’t be owned exclusively by Fall and Winter.  (I do admit that the lattice crust IS indeed tricky.)  BUT, if you aren’t comfortable with doing lattice, you can simply do whatever shape you choose. Little Rounds. Squares. Triangles. Hearts! ANY shape of pie dough will do to top these mini cobblers.  (I also did little rounds! Super cute. Super easy.)

If you’ve got 6 ounce ramekins, I recommend using those.  But 8-ounces works as well! I also used frozen cherries because pitting cherries just isn’t in my schedule for today 🙂  Fresh or frozen cherries will work just fine!

As for the pie dough, I used the ‘ready to roll’ box of a large pie round. Homemade of course would work as well. (I have no shame in using an already-made pie round these days!)  Hope you enjoy these festive little summer treats!

Mini Cherry Cobblers Recipe

Makes about 4 (6- or 8-ounce ramekins)

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

Crust

Store-bought pie dough round (See note)
1 egg beaten well, for egg wash
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Filling

1 pound cherries, pitted (can be fresh or frozen and thawed)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
dash of kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 tablespoon butter (salted or unsalted), cut into 8 pieces

Note:: (This is the pie dough in a box. It’s in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. They are rounds of dough that you unroll—they are not the pie crust that’s already fitted into a pie pan.)

Cheat Code: Skip the lattice crust top in step 4, and proceed to step 5.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. and place a rack in the center of the oven.

2. In a large bowl, combine the cherries, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and vanilla extract. Stir until combined. Spoon the cherry filling into 4 small ramekins. Place two pieces of butter on top of each.

3.  Set the dough round on the counter for about 5 minutes, so that it will soften a bit and be easier to unroll. Place the dough on a floured surface and unroll it. You can take a rolling pin and lightly roll to just stretch it out a little—but you don’t want it to get too thin.

4. If making the lattice crust, cut the dough into 1-inch strips and then weave the lattice crust. Use a round cutter slightly larger than your ramekin to cut out the lattice tops. Then, use a pancake spatula to gently transfer the dough to the top of the cherry filling.

5. If you are skipping the lattice crust, cut small rounds of dough using a cookie cutter and place them directly on top of the cherry filling.

6. Place the egg in a small bowl and whisk well. Brush the whisked egg onto the crust (you will have some egg left over).

7. Place the 2 teaspoons of sugar in a small bowl with the 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and stir. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the crust.

8. Transfer the ramekins to a baking sheet, and place in the oven. Bake until the cherry filling is bubbling and the crust looks browned and cooked well, 30-35 minutes.

9. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Serve with a scoop of ice cream!