Cobbler Crusade

Simply put, cobblers are hassle-free ways to capture everything we love about desserts. And because frozen fruit works just as well, you don't have to give up on cobblers when the markets start to run bare in the fall.

To get started, build a cobbler from the bottom up. There are two basic formulas to follow: one for berries and so-called stone fruits (that is, fruits with a center pit, such as peaches, apricots, plums, nectarines, and cherries); and one for apples or pears.

Follow either recipe and use the fruit of your choice; stir everything together in a large bowl, pour into a 9-inch square pan, and set it aside while you make the topping.

FRUIT FORMULA I: FOR BERRIES AND STONE FRUITS
5 1/2 cups berries or pitted chopped stone fruits
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons quick-cook tapioca (such as Kraft's Minute Tapioca)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon almond extract

FRUIT FORMULA II
5 cups sliced, cored, peeled apples and/or pears
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon quick-cook tapioca (such as Kraft's Minute Tapioca)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Once you've got the filling made, you can put two kinds of toppings over it: a crisp and lacy one with oats and a touch of cinnamon; or a tender biscuit topping sweetened with brown sugar. Mix and match — either topping will work over either fruit mixture. Simply mix the ingredients for the topping of your choice in a large bowl with a fork until well combined, then crumble the oat topping or drop the biscuit topping evenly over the fruit base.

OAT TOPPING
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats (do not use quick-cooking oats)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

BISCUIT TOPPING
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup non-fat milk
1/3 cup rolled oats (do not use quick-cooking oats)
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons baking powder

Bake the cobbler in the center of a preheated 375°F oven until the fruit starts to bubble and the topping is lightly browned, about 45 minutes. Any combination yields ten 1/2-cup servings.

Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough are the authors of The Ultimate Chocolate Cookie Book (HarperCollins, 2004).