Easy Lemon Cobbler

Ok, lets talk about cobblers, shall we? Want to?

I think a lot of people use "cobbler" as a catch all word whenever they bake something that has a bubbly filling and a top crust, but that's just not correct. I mean, yes, there are LOTS of desserts that all have those things... but that doesn't necessarily make them cobblers.
 You have your Brown Bettys, and Pan Dowdys, and Buckles, and Crisps, and Crumbles, and Grunts, and Slumps.... and yes, COBBLERS... all bringing something different to the party. So, what is it that distinguishes each one from the rest?
 Well, sometimes, it's what goes on top, sometimes it's how you cook them, and sometimes it's even where you live. A Brown Betty has a bread crumb topping, whereas a Crisp usually has a brown sugar and oat topping. (Incidentally, here in America, we call it a Crisp, but in the UK, the same dessert would be called a Crumble.) A Pan Dowdy has a pie crust on top, and is baked in a skillet. A Slump is also cooked in a skillet, but it's cooked on top of the stove.  See what I mean? Very similar, but not exactly quite the same. So what makes a cobbler...a cobbler??
 Well, I suppose you can have different kinds. Some people just bake a biscuit topping over some cooked fruit and call it a cobbler. But I was always taught that a true cobbler is made when you pour a batter over melted butter, then add fruit or filling over the batter and you don't stir anything together. Then when you bake it, all the batter bakes up over the fruit filling, making a "cobbled" appearance. Now THAT'S my definition of a real cobbler. And that's what we have here today!!
 Usually, when you do a cobbler, you do berries, or apples or peaches... but today we're doing LEMON! I know, it's not the usual thing when you think "cobbler", right? But that's what makes it so fun! I first saw a version of this recipe on website called Call Me PC, but of course, I tweaked it ever so slightly. Also, it's SUPER easy and you don't even need a mixer. Just a spoon and a bowl!
I'm pretty sure this will please all of my friends and family who are always requesting "anything lemon" whenever I ask what recipes they'd like to see. It's just the right amount of sweet and tart, and I think you'll agree that it screams summer dessert. I promise it'll please your biggest lemon fans! Hope you like it!



1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk (or buttermilk)
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest from one lemon
1 (15oz) can lemon pie filling
1/2 cup lemon curd


Heat oven to 350ºF.
Place butter in a 9x9 (or 1 1/2 qt) casserole dish. Place dish in oven so that the butter melts.
In a mixing bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients except the pie filling and lemon curd. It should be like a thin pancake batter. Remove pan of melted butter from the oven. Pour the batter over the butter. Do not stir. In the same mixing bowl, stir together the pie filling and curd until well combined. Drop small dollops of the lemon filling over the batter. Again, do not stir. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 55-60 minutes or until the top crust is golden brown. (it's ok if the center is still a little jiggly.) Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or sweetened freshly whipped cream. Garnish with a few fresh berries, if desired.




Tips:
Feel free to use just pie filling or just curd. I had both, so I used both. (I liked that the curd brought an extra burst of tartness to the party!)
If you don't have fresh lemons to zest, you can also use a little lemon extract in your filling.
Whenever I bake a cobbler or something that is potentially bubbly, I find that it's always a good idea to place your baking dish on a tray in the oven. It might save you from a terrible cleanup later on! Don't have a baking tray? Place a few sheets of foil on the rack below your dish.