Oven-Roasted Plum Cakes

This recipe was a trial in following directions.   It started with prepping the pans/ ramekins.  I rubbed them with butter, not melted butter.  I used muffin tins and 1/2 cup ramekins, instead of full cup ramekins (I don't have any).  I must have put 3-4 TB of batter in each container because 2 TB seemed like a ridiculously small amount of batter especially with a half of a plum on top. And I squished that half plum down a bit in the batter because I felt like it, even though the recipe warned to keep the plum afloat so as not to sink.  

I think I should just follow instructions.  

The cakes were difficult to remove (the pans could have used melted butter).   I was not sure how long to bake them due to the size difference.  And those plums sunk bringing the extra batter down with it.

But then again, they were quite tasty despite my lack of obedience. 

So next time, I would follow the directions more closely except for the sugar sprinkled on top. I would use regular sugar on top and less of it.  The recipe calls for brown sugar, and I felt the molasses flavor came through too much and masked some of the plum flavor, which was delicious.  There is always room for some intelligent disobedience.  Rhiannon knows this.

Johnny Cake Cobbler

Cobbler is one of those desserts that I have tried and tried again, never settling on one solid recipe, kind of like brownies.  One turns out too watery, to thick, the next one too little topping, the next one too much topping.  So when this one was slated for this week's Tuesday with Dorie, Baking with Julia group, I was excited to try it. Maybe this one would be the one that I hang on to.

First, it calls for prepping the fruit, in this case plums and nectarines (I substituted peaches for the nectarines): slice and mix with an already heated butter and sugar mixture. Then it states to cook it for a  few minutes (maybe a few more) to cook off some of the juices.  

Then, it's time to prep the topping which includes a small amount of fine cornmeal to give it some texture.  Sift the dry ingredients and cut in the butter with a food processor.  (I did this by hand).  Fold in some cream and spread it on the prepared fruit.  This is ideally done in ramekins or small bowls.  I do not have any of the right size, so I went for one big cobbler.

Then into the oven for a short time to bake the topping (the filling is already cooked so it is a very short cooking time compared to most cobblers).  So, this is where I messed up.  I cooked it for 4-5 minutes too short and the topping did not cook through entirely.  We ate some of it anyway this way, and then I experimented and put it back in the oven.   In my experience this never works, to put an already baked  item that has cooled and been cut into, back into the oven to finish cooking.  But it worked!  The topping came out fully cooked and perfectly proportioned to the fruit (I like a lot of topping per fruit).

Is this my go-to cobbler recipe?   I don't think so, but maybe...  I like cooking the fruit ahead of time in order to be able to better control its consistency and flavor, but I also hate cooking it ahead of time; it is one extra step and more dishes.  The topping is great with a light, cornmeal texture and with the richness of cream.  This recipe needs a few more go-arounds before I give up on it.

And Rhiannon...