plum cobbler.

Lets be honest. I made this like weeks ago. I think it might have been a month even. Just off my photo game sometimes and the photos just get uploaded to the computer, not to be touched again for a while. But here they finally are. 

They are plums that a girl from work brought over, since she had gotten this massive box full at some farm stand or something over her weekend. They were epically juicy and so sweet, in a good way.

So they got made into a cobbler, and a sorbet that all gotten eaten before a camera was even touched. It was brown sugar plum sorbet too. Damn that was good. Really tart but a bit caramely from the brown sugar. I really should break out the old ice cream maker to do it again. And to actually take photos of. Well see how much energy I can muster up with this heat. 

So the cobbler. It has a gingery cornmeal biscuit topping on it. Came out super tasty but we had just kinda messed it up right before baking. So you know how when you make biscuits or something like that, and you bake them right from cold so there are still the little clumps of butter in the dough? To make those little pockets once it bakes? Well, we didn't really remember about that. 

From working the butter in by hand, to it sitting out for a while on the table for me to photograph it, the dough was way too soft when we put it in the oven. All of the biscuits spread out like crazy and just formed this massive crust over the whole top. It still tasted awesome but just didn't look awesome. So if you make this, remember to chill it before baking! Which I included in the recipe.

So at work, lots, well not lots but a bit, is different now. 
The girl who was quitting is now actually staying. I don't have to work at 3am anymore. For her to stay, we switched around both our schedules to where she works evenings now and I work the morning. Instead of both of use working the morning. My horrible 3am shift got pushed back to 5am, which is still early for most but makes me feel like I am sleeping in most days now. All my early morning tasks got changed to her ending tasks in the late shift. It's a lot better for me now to actually. I don't have to rush around at the wee hours of the morning trying to make sure everything gets in the oven as quickly as possible. I just get to start working on production for whats on order for the next day. Way less stressful, loving it. 

Next saturday is Aran's, of Cannelle et Vanille, book signing and  cooking demo at Williams Sonoma in SF, anyone going? I'm going to head out to the city with my mom early that day to check out the farmers market then make our way up to Union Square for the signing at noon. Can't wait to go. Meeting Rohan, of Whole Larder Love, was beyond epic. Loving how all these bloggers are coming out with books and now I can actually meet the face behind all the amazing photographs.

Plum Cobbler
from Food & Wine

Filling:
4 lbs plums, in wedges
169g sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch

Topping: 
250g AP flour
85g cornmeal
169g sugar
2 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
228g butter, cold and cubed
6 oz cold milk

Oven 375F. Grease a 9x13 baking pan.

Toss plums with sugar and cornstarch, let stand while making the topping.
Whisk together cornmeal, sugar, ginger, baking powder and salt.
Cut in butter until coarse crumbs. ADd the milk and stir until moistened. 
Spread the plums in the baking dish and scoop out topping to cover all the plums.
Chill in fridge for 1/2 hour.
Transfer directly to the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Topping should be golden and crisp. 
Let cool for about an hour before serving.