Elevate your summer menu with the uniquely flavored Sumac Cherry Cobbler. It has a fluffy buttermilk biscuit topping and pairs wonderfully with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.
This sumac cherry cobbler was inspired by The Cinnaman’s Sumac Cherry Pie. The combination of sweet cherries and the tanginess of ground sumac sounded like a perfect match.
Being from Texas, cobblers are very much a summery dessert, particularly peach cobbler. With cherries fully in season, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make a cherry cobbler, but with a twist.
The earthy citrus flavor of sumac works in both savory and sweet foods alike, especially fruit. Instead of the typical batter based topping, we opted for a fluffy buttermilk biscuit topping with a golden crust. The finishing touch is a generous sprinkling of coarse sugar which adds a slight crunch to the top.
This dessert is best served with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and an extra sprinkle of sumac. For more summer desserts, try our Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pound Cake and this Peach Mascarpone Cake.
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Ingredient Notes
The full list of ingredients and their quantities is in the recipe card below. Here you’ll find notes on why we chose certain ingredients as well as any substitutions.
- Cherries: We use regular sweet cherries which still have a slight sourness to them. If you want a sweeter cobbler, you can use black cherries.
- Ground Sumac: This crimson-colored spice has an earthy, slightly sour lemon flavor.
- Light Brown Sugar: We started out using regular sugar, but found that the molasses in brown sugar adds a lot more depth and flavor.
- Lemon Juice: This adds a bit of acidity to balance and cut through the sweetness in the cherries.
- Ground Cinnamon: We like the warmth it adds to the filling, but feel free to omit it.
- Cornstarch: This helps to thicken the cherry filling.
- Pure Almond Extract: We use Adam’s Extract. This enhances that delicious cherry flavor.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: A staple in most desserts!
- All-Purpose Flour: Be sure to use a kitchen scale when measuring or you could end up with dry biscuits.
- Granulated Sugar: Just enough to add a touch of sweetness to the biscuit dough.
- Unsalted Butter: Cut it into small cubes before using it in the biscuit dough.
- Buttermilk: The tanginess adds flavor to the biscuits and the acidity in buttermilk reacts with baking soda to help the biscuits rise.
- Egg: A simple egg wash on top of the biscuits gives them a beautiful golden sheen.
- Coarse Sugar: Turbinado or Demerara will do. We love the bit of crunchiness they add to the biscuits.
Kitchen Equipment
- Kitchen Scale
- Oven Thermometer
- Mixing Bowls
- Pastry Cutter
- Pastry Brush
- Bench Scraper
- 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) Baking Dish
- 2-inch (5 cm) Round Biscuit Cutter
Step-by-Step Instructions
This section provides a general overview as well as any pictures to guide you through the recipe. The full detailed recipe instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
STEP 1: Cook the cherries. Place the cherries and the rest of the filling ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until the filling starts to bubble and thicken. Spread evenly in a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
STEP 2: Make the biscuit dough. Combine the dry ingredients and sugar in a large bowl then use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour. Once you have pea sized clumps, add the buttermilk and mix with a wooden spoon until a cohesive dough starts to form.
STEP 3: Layer and flatten the dough. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface then form into a ball. Roll the dough into a ¾-inch (2 cm) thick square then cut into 4 equal pieces. Stack them on top of each other then flatten out into a ½-inch (1.25 cm) thick slab.
STEP 4: Cut out the biscuits. Use a 2-inch (5 cm) round biscuit cutter to press out the biscuits. Place them close to each other on top of the cherry filling. You should have about 18-20 mini biscuits.
STEP 5: Add the egg wash. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the egg wash then sprinkle with coarse sugar.
STEP 6: Bake. Bake the cobbler for about 45 minutes until the tops of the biscuits are golden brown and the edge of the filling bubbles slowly.
Expert Tips
- Don’t overcook your cherries. If they cook too long on the stove, the syrup will get too thick and your filling won’t be as juicy. Stop cooking them as soon as they start to bubble and the sauce starts to thicken.
- Keep some extra flour on the side. If your biscuit dough starts to get sticky as you’re rolling, add a sprinkle of flour on top of the dough and on your hands.
FAQ
Cooking them on the stove prior to baking, helps to get rid of any excess liquid in the cherries. This turns it into a concentrated, syrupy filling that won’t cause your biscuits to get soggy.
It should be available in the spice aisle of most grocery stores.
Place any leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Baking in Grams
All of our baking recipes are carefully tested using grams so that you get a beautiful and delicious baked good every time. While we provide cup measurements, we can’t guarantee that they’ll produce good results. There’s more room for error when using cups, and how you pack your ingredients can make a significant difference. This is why we recommend measuring by weight so you’re guaranteed for success in the kitchen! All you need is a kitchen scale and you’re good to go!
If you made this Sumac Cherry Cobbler recipe, please let us know by leaving a star rating and review down below. We’d love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Sumac Cherry Biscuit Cobbler
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale
- Pastry Cutter
- Bench Scraper
- Rolling Pin
- Pastry Brush
- 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) Baking Dish
- 2-inch (5 cm) Round Biscuit Cutter
Ingredients
Filling
- 907 g (2 lbs) fresh stemless cherries pitted and halved
- 150 g (¾ cup) light brown sugar packed
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp sumac
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp pure almond extract
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Biscuit Topping
- 330 g (2 ¾ cup) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter cold and cubed*
- 250 ml (1 cup) cold buttermilk
- 1 large egg for the egg wash
- 1 tbsp coarse sugar for topping
Instructions
- Place the halved cherries along with the rest of the ingredients for the filling in a large saucepan. Place over medium heat and stir until no more flecks of cornstarch are visible.
- Continue stirring frequently until the filling starts to bubble and thicken. Turn off the heat and transfer to a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish. Evenly spread out the cherries and set aside.
- For the biscuits, add the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour and use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour until pea-sized clumps form.
- Add the cold buttermilk then use a wooden spoon to mix it into the flour until a moistened, cohesive dough starts to form.
- Carefully tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface then quickly shape into a ball.
- Sprinkle a bit of flour on your rolling pin and on top of the dough ball. Roll into a ¾-inch (2 cm) thick square.
- Cut into 4 equal sized squares then stack them on top of each other. Sprinkle the top with a bit more flour then roll into a ½-inch (1.25 cm) thick slab.
- Use a 2-inch (5 cm) round biscuit cutter to press out the biscuits (don't twist). Place them close to each other on top of the cherry filling. If your dough starts to get sticky, add a sprinkling of flour on top and on your hands. You should have about 18-20 mini biscuits.
- Lightly beat an egg in a small bowl then brush the tops of the biscuits with the egg wash. Generously sprinkle the tops with 1 tbsp of coarse sugar.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is slowly bubbling along the edges.
- Cool for 5-10 minutes then serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and an extra sprinkling of sumac.
Notes
- We recommend cutting the butter into small cubes first then placing it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. That way it’s chilled and ready to go.
- Storage: Place leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
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