Single Serving Quick Fruit Cobbler - make as many or as few as you need.

Single Serving Quick Fruit Cobbler - make as many or as few as you need.

With the beginning of the summer fruit season at hand, there are many opportunities to enjoy delicious simple berry or summer fruit cobblers. The quick cobbler idea at the end of the basic cobbler recipe will show you how to be prepared to enjoy it at a moment's notice for last minute dinner guests or just to enjoy a single serving to treat yourself.

Cobbler dough

In a food processor combine:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar

Using the pulse button on the food processor cut in

• 1 cup very cold butter, cut in small pieces

Pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. ( If you don't own a food processor, you can cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or even a couple of knives.)

To the flour/butter mixture add

• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Fold in the cream just until a soft dough forms. Do not overwork the dough or it will become too tough. Less is more here and the less you work the dough, the lighter your cobbler will turn out.

If you are making cobbler right away just drop the cobbler dough in heaping tablespoonfuls onto a hot fruit mixture in a 9x9 nbaking dish. You can use practically any fruit you like. Just toss it with a little sugar and place it in the oven to heat up. I find giving the fruit a head start in the oven makes for a better cobbler because you don't risk over-baking the  cobbler dough. Over the cobbler sprinkle:

• a few teaspoons of sugar (optional)

Bake at 350 degreed F for about  25-35 minutes or until the top is evenly golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. Let the cobbler rest for 10-15 minutes before serving warm with some good French Vanilla ice cream.

QUICK COBBLER - make a single serving or as many as you need: great for individual servings at dinner parties too.

Single Serving Quick Fruit Cobbler - make as many or as few as you need.

The quick cobbler idea that I mentioned at the beginning of this post is really very simple and takes only a little forethought to be able to enjoy even just a single serving of fruit cobbler in about 25 minutes; great for last minute dinner guests or just to indulge a little comfort food craving.

When I make cobbler dough, I generally make two batches and freeze one, shaped into a 3 inch log and wrapped in plastic wrap. With the cobbler dough already made and standing by in the freezer, I can then at any time, very simply cut off a 1 1/2 inch round of the cobbler dough and place it on top of a couple of tablespoons of my favorite homemade jam in a greased ramekin. In the photo I have used some Heavenly Rhubarb Jam that I recently featured on this blog.

Then, I sprinkle the top of the cobbler with a little sugar and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until the cobbler is nicely golden brown, about 20-25 minutes until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Enjoy!