TWD Johnny Cake Cobbler

This was cook's choice week for TWD.  We got to pick between a Johnny Cake Cobbler and Raspberry Fig Crostata.  We are very lucky to have two fig trees in our front yard.  Last year they produced very well and I made all kinds of things with figs, including the crostata.  I can't find any pictures of it to post (probably because I forgot to take them!), but I remember loving it.  Figs and raspberries are two of my favorite fruits, and I loved the addition of sesame seeds to the crust.  It made it crumbly to work with, but I thought the extra flavor made it well worth it.  This year we still don't have any figs.  I think some of it is the oddly cool weather we've been having (not that I'm complaining!) and some of it is the squirrels.  Poor Paul is fighting a hard battle, but the squirrels are definitely winning.  This weekend he carefully put baby socks on all of the figs that were close to ripening, and secured them with rubber bands.  On Monday the squirrels managed to get most of the socks off and eat the figs inside them.  We now have colorful baby socks all over the yard, and still no figs to eat!  He's going to keep trying (any tips are much appreciated!), but for now I decided to just make the cobbler.

I love fruit crisps and cobblers.  I think in terms of enjoyment relative to cooking time, they are the best possible dessert.  The fruit filling was quick and easy to put together (I used a combination of plums, peaches, and nectarines).  The biscuit topping came together in no time in the food processor.  My only regret was not making individual cobblers.  I have the dishes to do it, but was in a lazy mood.  In hindsight, the individual ones are much cuter and I love having my own dessert.  I was also annoyed by the baking times in the recipe.  The recipe said making a family sized color would only take a couple of extra minutes of baking.  Mine was golden after after 15 minutes, but I probably moved the cobbler in and out of the oven every 5 minutes for almost an hour, trying to get the inside to bake.  When it finally baked we definitely enjoyed it, especially with the addition of the optional ginger.  My only comment is that I wish there had been more filling for the amount of crust, and it definitely needed heavy cream or ice cream for serving.