I was in line at an outdoor market in Paris and une dame d’un certain âge in front of me was getting a lesson on preparing rhubarb from la vendeuse, who insisted that rhubarb absolutely, positively had to be peeled before cooking. Having prepared quite a bit of rhubarb, often in a professional capacity, I figured I could add my deux centimes, so I spoke up, telling them that I’d never done that and that it really wasn’t necessary. Immediately, the line of French housewives erupted, insisting that yes, you simply must peel rhubarb. Seeing as I was outnumbered, I decided to not argue the point. Safely back at home, I’ll admit with confidence that I’ve never found the need to peel rhubarb for a recipe, but I have experimented with using it in unconventional ways and found that it has a remarkable affinity for pineapple and raspberries, a mix that makes a delicious fruit cobbler—which no one should have any quibbles with.

　　

Ingredients

makes 8 servings

　　

Filling

7 cups diced rhubarb (2 pounds/1 kg stalks)

　　2 cups (300 g) cubed pineapple (from 1/2 pineapple, peeled, eyes removed, and cored)

　　2 1/2 cups (12 ounces/340 g) raspberries

　　3/4 cup (150 g) sugar

　　2 tablespoons (15 g) all-purpose flour

　　1 teaspoon vanilla extract

　　1 tablespoon kirsch (optional)

　　

Biscuits

3 cups (420 g) all-purpose flour

　　2 tablespoons (30 g) sugar

　　1 tablespoon baking powder

　　1 1/2 teaspoons salt

　　10 tablespoons (5 ounces/135 g) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch (1.5-cm) pieces and chilled

　　3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy cream or buttermilk, plus more as needed

　　1 large egg yolk

　　1 teaspoon heavy cream or whole milk

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

　　

Step 2

To make the filling, in a large bowl, mix together the rhubarb, pineapple, raspberries, the 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar, 2 tablespoons (15 g) flour, vanilla, and kirsch, if using, until combined. Transfer the mixture to a shallow 2-quart (2-liter) baking dish and bake until the fruit is heated through, about 40 minutes, stirring several times during baking.

　　

Step 3

While the filling bakes, make the biscuits. Into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if making by hand), sift together the 3 cups (420 g) flour, 2 tablespoons (30 g) sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter pieces to the flour mixture. Mix briefly in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or by hand with a pastry blender) until the butter is mostly incorporated, but small chunks are still visible. Stir in 3/4 cup (180 ml) cream or buttermilk and mix until the dough begins to come together. Gather the dough into a ball with your hands; if the dough is too dry to hold together, gradually mix in additional cream or buttermilk until it does.

　　

Step 4

Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough until it is 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick. Using a 3-inch (8-cm) round biscuit cutter dipped in flour, cut out 8 biscuits. (You may need to gather the dough scraps and roll them out again in order to make 8 biscuits.) Set the biscuits aside until needed. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and cream or milk to make an egg wash.

　　

Step 5

When the filling is ready, remove the baking dish from the oven and arrange the biscuits on top of the filling. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the egg wash. Return the baking dish to the oven and continue baking until the biscuits are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

　　

Serving

Step 6

Serve warm with Vanilla Ice Cream (page 143).

　　

tip

Step 7

Have a sheet of aluminum foil on the lower rack of the oven during baking since this cobbler is quite juicy and the foil will catch any spills.

　　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.