My friend Cindy Meyers, who tested many of the recipes in this book and my two previous ones, wrote me, excitedly, that this dessert was her favorite of all that she tested. “The almond topping is so fluffy!” she commented. Considering she’s someone that I look to for criticism, when praise comes forth, I’m flattered.

　　

Ingredients

makes 6 to 8 servings

　　

Filling

6 cups (2 1/4 pounds/1 kg) sweet cherries, pitted

　　2 tablespoons (30 g) sugar

　　Juice of 1/2 lemon

　　

Topping

1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour

　　1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　7 ounces (200 g) almond paste, crumbled

　　1/3 cup (65 g) sugar

　　1/2 cup (4 ounces/115 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

　　1 large egg, at room temperature

　　1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

　　1/2 cup (125 ml) whole milk

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

　　

Step 2

To make the filling, in a shallow 2-quart (2-liter) baking dish, toss the pitted cherries with the 2 tablespoons (30 g) sugar and the lemon juice.

　　

Step 3

To make the topping, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

　　

Step 4

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the almond paste and 1/3 cup (65 g) sugar on medium speed until the almond paste is broken into fine pieces. Beat in the butter, then the egg and vanilla or almond extract. Add half of the flour mixture, followed by the milk, then the remaining flour mixture, mixing just until combined.

　　

Step 5

Spoon the batter evenly over the cherries in the baking dish. Bake until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the topping comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

　　

Serving

Step 6

Serve the cobbler warm or at room temperature with whipped cream (page 239), Vanilla Ice Cream (page 143), or White Chocolate–Ginger Ice Cream (page 149).

　　

Variations

Step 7

For MANGO, BLACKBERRY, AND ALMOND COBBLER; make a filling with 5 pounds (2.5 kg) mangoes, peeled, pitted, and cubed; 2 1/2 cups (12 ounces/340 g) blackberries; 2 tablespoons (30 g) packed light or dark brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; and the juice of 1 lemon. To make MIXED BERRY-ALMOND COBBLER; substitute 6 cups (about 1 3/4 pounds/795 g) mixed berries for the cherries. For CHERRY, APRICOT, AND ALMOND COBBLER; substitute 1 pound (450 g) apricots, pitted and cut into eighths, for half of the cherries.

　　Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz. Copyright © 2010 by David Lebovitz. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.David Lebovitz lived in San Francisco for twenty years before moving to Paris. He baked at several notable restaurants before starting his career as a cookbook author and food writer. He's the author of four highly regarded books on desserts, and has written for many major food magazines, sharing his well-tested recipes written with a soupçon of humor. His popular, award-winning blog, www.davidlebovitz.com, entertains readers from around the world with sweet and savory recipes as he tries to unravel the complexities of living in Paris.