This recipe I am sharing with you today comes from a Gooseberry Patch Cookbook entitled Farmhouse Kitchen. I love the Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks. There is a garden center not too far from here which sells them. I got my copy on Amazon in 2023. This book has a wonderful selection of recipes, from farm-fresh breakfasts to picnic dishes to classic comfort food. So many yummy recipes, it's hard to choose what to make! But, then again, you could say that about any Gooseberry Patch Cookbook!
I wanted to try this recipe because it used only a very few ingredients and the batter for the topping of the cobbler was made from scratch. You didn't need to use a cake mix or any other baking mix. Just plain simple everyday ingredients. I also happened to have quite a few tins of pie filling in my larder that I am trying to use up. The original recipe called for cherry, but I used Strawberry Rhubarb, which worked beautifully. Next time I make it I will add some ground cardamom to the batter. That would work wonderfully with strawberry rhubarb.
If you used a blueberry filling you could add some ground cinnamon and finely grated lemon zest to the batter. There are an immeasurable number of ways you could adapt this recipe to your own tastes and what is in the larder. It really is a very forgiving recipe. It was a bit on the sweet side however, so I would cut down the sugar a bit next time I make it. You could probably cut it back by as much as half and still have a delicious dessert.
This was delicious served warm with a small scoop of good Vanilla Ice Cream on top. If you were in the U.K. you might enjoy it with some warm custard, or even pouring cream drizzled over top. All would be delicious. The ice cream was really wonderful as a contrast to the warm cobbler. I don't think you could go wrong with this dessert really. I think everyone will love it!
- 1/2 cup (115g) butter
- 1 cup (190g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (94g) all-purpose plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (180ml) milk
- 21 oz can (550g) tin of fruit pie filling
- I used salted butter. I really don't think it makes much difference. Today's butter is only slightly salted. If it bothers you, then by all means use unsalted.
- I used Kirkland organic granulated sugar. This is a sweet dessert. You can reduce the amount of sugar used if you wish for a less sweet dessert.
- Plain, all-purpose flour is what is needed. I have never used self-raising flour, but if you do you would need to alter the amount of baking powder used and omit any salt.
- I used whole milk.
- On this occasion I used Strawberry Rhubarb fruit pie filling. It was lovely. You can use any type of fruit pie filling that you enjoy.
- Preheat the oven to 325*F/160*C/ gas mark 3.
- Place the butter into an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Place into the oven to melt while you mix up the batter. (It will melt faster if you have the butter cut into chunks. Do NOT let it brown.)
- Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Whisk together to combine well. (I use a small wire whisk for this. This makes sure the baking powder is evenly mixed throughout.) Whisk in the milk until smooth. (You want a smooth, lump-free batter.)
- Pour the batter over the melted butter in the dish. Do NOT Stir. (Seriously, do not stir this.)
- Spoon the fruit filling on top of the batter. Again do NOT stir. (I just dollop the filling evenly over top as best as I can. It will be sinking to the bottom as the cake bakes and covers the top of the cobbler.)
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour until golden brown.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, custard sauce or pouring cream. Delicious! (I love vanilla ice cream with this.)
Use the right pan for even baking
A 8×8‑inch baking dish is recommended for the best texture and even cooking. Using a deeper round dish can leave the center undercooked and soupy because the batter sits too deep in the middle.
Don’t stir — really, don’t stir
The magic of this cobbler comes from layering. You melt the butter, pour in the batter, then spoon the cherry filling over top — without stirring at any stage. This creates the classic “self‑forming crust” as it bakes.
Adjust the sweetness to your taste
The full 1 cup of sugar makes the cobbler very sweet. If you prefer a less sugary dessert, try reducing it to 1/2 cup or 1/3 cup. I wouldn't go any lower than that.
Add flavor boosters for extra depth
You will love customizing the batter and filling with:
Cinnamon or allspice in the batter
Vanilla extract for warmth
Almond extract with cherry filling — a favorite addition that makes canned filling taste more homemade
Try different fruits
This recipe works beautifully with almost any fruit:
Blueberry pie filling
Cherry pie filling
Apple pie filling
Strawberry Rhubarb filling
Peach pie filling (with a touch of cinnamon)
Blackberries (fresh or canned)
Frozen sweetened strawberries
Even pear or fig preserves
It’s a wonderfully flexible base recipe.
Buttermilk works beautifully
If you’re out of regular milk, buttermilk adds richness and still bakes up perfectly. Multiple commenters confirm it works well.
Don’t worry about butter pooling
If you see butter pooling on top during baking, don’t panic — it absorbs as the cobbler cools.
Serve warm for the best texture
The cobbler is at its peak when served warm, especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Aunt Betty's Easy Fruit Cobbler
Nothing could be easier to make. This simple dessert uses everyday ingredients and can be adapted to any fruit filling you enjoy.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (115g) butter
- 1 cup (190g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (94g) all-purpose plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (180ml) milk
- 21 oz can (550g) tin of fruit pie filling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325*F/160*C/ gas mark 3.
- Place the butter into an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Place into the oven to melt while you mix up the batter.
- Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Whisk together to combine well. Whisk in the milk until smooth.
- Pour the batter over the melted butter in the dish. Do NOT Stir.
- Spoon the fruit filling on top of the batter. Again do NOT stir.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour until golden brown.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, custard sauce or pouring cream. Delicious!
Did you make this recipe?
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- 3/4 cup (105g) plain all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 TBS (1/4 cup/60g) butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) sugar divided
- 1 small free range egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup (60ml) buttermilk
- 1 1/2 pints (3 cups) mix of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries
- 3/4 cup (105g) plain all purpose flour
- 3 TBS sugar
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 3 TBS butter, cold and cubed
- 1/4 cup (60ml) cold buttermilk
- buttermilk and coarse sugar to glaze

Mixed Berry Cobbler
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (105g) plain all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 TBS (1/4 cup/60g) butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) sugar divided
- 1 small free range egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup (60ml) buttermilk
- 1 1/2 pints (3 cups) mix of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 7 by 11 inch baking dish really well. Set aside.
- Sift the flour, soda, cream of tartar and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle, cream together the butter and 1/3 cup (63g) of the sugar on low speed until light in texture. Beat in the egg until smooth.
- Add the flour, alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
- Mix the berries with the remaining sugar and scatter them in the baking dish. Spoon the cake batter over the top in dollops.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until the filling is bubbling and a toothpick inserted into the cake batter comes out clean.
- Let stand for 10 minutes and then serve warm, spooned into bowls with scoops of vanilla ice cream or pouring cream if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
We grow a lot of our own soft fruits in our garden . . . tay berries (a cross between a black and rasp berry), raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, gooseberries, strawberries and black currants.
I'm not complaining! But it's either a glut day or a day when there is not enough of any one in particular to do anything with, but you know if you leave them they will rot day, and so today my husband came in with a big bowl of mixed berries.
A slump is always a welcome dish around here. His eyes light up when I make a slump . . .
And oh so light . . . like little fluffy puffs of air. He does love a good dumpling . . .
The fruit is not overly sweet, which is good. I like my fruit a bit on the tart side, but you can add more sugar if you want to.
It's a very tasty dessert. Don't be tempted to lift the lid off the dumplings when they are cooking. They won't cook properly if you do.
Bumbleberry Slump
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh berries (I used strawberries, blueberries, tayberries, gooseberries and black currants) (600g)
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup of sugar (depending on the sweetness of your berries) ( 95- 145g)
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zet
- 1/3 cup water (78ml)
- 1 cup plain flour (140g)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 TBS sugar
- 2 TBS cold butter
- 1/3 cup whole milk (78ml)
- vanilla ice cream, pouring cream, whipped cream, or warm custard
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender, or rub in quickly with your fingertips until the four resembles coarse meal.
- Add the milk all at once and stir just to moisten the flour. Shape into a ball and set aside. Try not to handle the dough too much.
- Place the berries, sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest and juice and water in a medium deep skillet. Stir to coat the berries, and then bring to the boil.
- Pinch off large lumps of dough and drop them onto the boiling berries. You should get six dumplings. Cover tightly, reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Cook for 25 minutes without peeking at the dumplings.
- To serve, spoon some of the fruit into each of six dessert bowls and top each with a dumpling. Serve warm with ice cream or pouring cream. Delicious!











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