Nothing beats fresh strawberries in season, and here in South Louisiana, we are blessed with an abundance of the crop. I like them chilled over a bowl of corn flakes, crowning a big ol’ biscuit topped with ice cream, or whole berries dipped in chocolate—there’s no end to the ways I enjoy strawberries. But here in the South, a warm strawberry cobbler with a crackly crisp crust is down-home comfort in a bowl.
Sweet strawberries blend with Chambord liqueur in my Strawberry Cobbler – a down-home Southern favorite. (All photos credit: George Graham)
Strawberries cooked down in brown sugar with a hint of dark balsamic vinegar, provide a sweet syrupy backdrop for my Strawberry Cobbler dessert. And the introduction of a splash of the berry-fueled liqueur Chambord sends this sweet treat on a ride down memory lane.
Fresh strawberries shine when combined with these simple ingredients in my Strawberry Cobbler.
This easy Strawberry Cobbler is made even easier by using store-bought puff pastry sheets. Now you can feel free to roll your own pastry dough, but I stock up on these time savers and store them in my freezer for just this kind of improvised dessert.
Frozen puff pastry makes the perfect crust for my easy Strawberry Cobbler.
So pull out your black iron, and pull out this simple Cajun recipe for Strawberry Cobbler – a satisfying Southern dessert.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons Chambord liqueur, optional
- 4 cups strawberries, stemmed and sliced
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 (17.3-ounce) package puff pastry sheets (2 sheets), thawed according to package directions
- ¼ cup melted unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups chilled heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
- In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, over medium heat, add the butter and brown sugar. Whisk together and cook until the sugar has dissolved into the melted butter, about 3 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar, vanilla extract, 4 tablespoons of the liqueur, and strawberries, and cook until the berries begin to soften, and the sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the cornstarch over the mixture, stir to incorporate, and cook until the mixture becomes thick. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Sprinkle the flour over a rolling surface and place the two puff pastry sheets edge-to-edge on the surface. With a rolling pin, roll them out until thin and joined at the edges. Drape the pastry over the cooled strawberry mixture and fold the edges inside the rim of the skillet. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Bake uncovered until the pastry is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and keep warm.
- Meanwhile, make the Chambord whipped cream by combining the cream, sugar, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of liqueur in a metal mixing bowl. With a hand mixer or immersion blender, whip the cream until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the cobbler from the oven and spoon into bowls. Top with a generous dollop of Chambord whipped cream
Sweet and Southern—my favorite things in a comforting bowl of Strawberry Cobbler.
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Great recipe, but the cornstarch has a tendency to clump when you sprinkle it over the strawberry reduction. Next time I will make a slurry.