I love just about any baked good that involves fruit: crisps, crumbles, cobblers, pies, galettes, you name it. And I have a particular affinity for summer stone fruit and berries. Even though there’s hardly anything more perfect than a ripe, sweet nectarine that drips juices down your chin from the first bite, I still love slicing them up and baking them into something decadent. Especially with a scoop of melting ice cream alongside.
One of my crowd-pleasing favorites (perfect for a barbecue) is this recipe for upside down cobbler, which was inspired by an old recipe by Nancy Silverton which I’ve made plenty of times (everybody’s mother’s berry cobbler). Over the years I updated and changed the recipe into what you see here.
It might sound strange but it really works. You start with a healthy portion of vanilla-infused melted butter, then you spoon in the thick batter and top it with fresh fruit tossed in a little sugar. The result is a crisp-chewy, buttery, fruity, cakey dessert unlike anything else you’ve ever had. But my suggestion is to eat it while it’s still warm (it doesn’t keep well). I kind of doubt you’ll have a problem doing that.
Swap out the nectarines for mixed berries or other stone fruit like apricots, cherries, or plums, or just a mixture of any fruit.
A note on nectarines and peaches:
I generally go for nectarines because you don’t have to peel them. But peaches are also swoon-worthy. To skin them, cut an X into the bottom them pop them into a big pot of boiling water for a minute or two. Remove them with a slotted spoon and when they are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins.