Description
A bright, tangy cobbler that seems to rearrange itself in the oven: golden, cakey top, and a syrupy lemon layer underneath. Serve it slightly warm with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups granulated sugar, divided (1 cup + ½ cup)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 2 cups very hot water
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the ½ cup butter in a 9×9-inch baking pan and let it melt as the oven comes up to temperature. Remove the pan when the butter is liquid and set it aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 cup of the granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly blended.
- Stir the milk, lemon juice and lemon zest into the dry mixture until you have a smooth batter.
- Pour that batter gently over the melted butter in the pan — do not stir or mix them together.
- Scatter the remaining ½ cup sugar evenly across the top of the batter.
- Slowly pour the hot water over the batter; again, leave everything as-is and resist the urge to stir.
- Bake for about 40–45 minutes, until the surface is nicely browned and the top feels set. During baking the liquid will settle and the lemon syrup will form beneath the crust.
- Let the cobbler rest a few minutes before scooping. It’s lovely served warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- The contrast — crisp-topped cake and a tart, saucy lemon bottom — is the point.
- For a more pronounced citrus punch, add extra lemon zest.
- Garnish with extra zest or a sprig of mint for color and freshness.
- Serve within a few hours for the best texture; rewarm gently if serving later.