A Holiday Recipe from Linden Ponds' Executive Chef

Spicy Autumn Fruit Cobbler

Bill Moriarty, Executive Chef at Linden Ponds

6  medium Bosc, Anjou, and/or Asian pears, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped (6 cups)

1  14 - 16  ounce can whole cranberry sauce

1  cup fresh cranberries

1/2  cup golden raisins or dark raisins

1/2  cup packed brown sugar

1/2  teaspoon ground ginger

1/4  teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8  teaspoon cayenne pepper

Dash salt

1/2  cup crushed graham crackers (6 graham cracker squares)

1   egg 

1/4  cup milk or half-and-half

3/4  cup all-purpose flour

2   tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2  teaspoons baking powder 

1/2  teaspoon salt

1/4  cup butter

1   tablespoon coarse sugar and/or demerara sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a 4-quart Dutch oven combine pears, cranberry sauce, cranberries, raisins, brown sugar, ginger, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and the dash salt. Bring to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine crushed graham crackers, egg, and milk; set aside. In a food processor combine flour, granulated sugar, the baking powder, and the 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and pulse with several on/off turns until combined. Add butter; pulse with several on/off turns until butter is worked in and there are no pieces of butter larger than a small pea. Add graham cracker mixture; pulse with a few on/off turns just until combined.

3. Divide hot pear mixture among eight 6- to 8-ounce custard cups or ramekins. Place cups in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Using a spoon, drop a mound of dough on top of pear mixture in each cup. Sprinkle coarse sugar over the dough mounds.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until biscuits are golden. Cool on a wire rack for 25 minutes. Serve warm.