Concord Seedless Grape Cobbler

A vine that's outlived its giver, grapes so sweet they barely need sugar, and a self-saucing batter that does all the work for you.

Prep: 15 min · Bake: 25–30 min · Serves: 4-6

Every September, my Concord vine hands me more grapes than any one person has a right to — well over a hundred pounds most years. Neighbors and friends carry off bagfuls. The Reno Gleaners show up some years and take away even more. And whatever's left after all that generosity, I make jam. I eat them by the bowlful over cereal. And when I've done both of those as many times as one household reasonably can, I make this cobbler.

The vine itself is older than a lot of vines get to be. It was given to me more than thirty years ago by the late Fred Wolf, who was known around here as the father of grapes in Nevada — a man from the UNR Extension Service who spent his career figuring out what could actually thrive in a high desert most people assumed couldn't grow much of anything worth eating. This vine is proof he was right. Three decades later it's still doing exactly what he must have known it would.

Concords don't need much help. They're sweet enough on their own that a tablespoon of sugar tossed over them before they go in the pan is closer to seasoning than sweetening. If yours have seeds — regular Concords usually do — just halve them and pick the seeds out before you toss them. Mine don't, which is most of why I keep this vine going instead of letting it do whatever it wants along the back fence.

Ellen didn't need to be asked twice if she'd like to come pick grapes!

David is happy to drive by and pick up grapes.

This recipe's adapted from a Hetty Lui McKinnon recipe I found in the New York Times, and it works on a different principle than a biscuit-topped cobbler. You melt the butter right in the skillet, pour a thin batter over it, and then scatter the fruit on top — no folding, no dolloping, no trying to make it look rustic on purpose. The batter rises up around the grapes as it bakes and more or less makes its own sauce underneath. It's about as close to no-fuss as a homemade dessert gets.

A word on the lime: most cobbler recipes reach for lemon without thinking twice. I like lime with Concords specifically — it's a little more floral, and it doesn't compete with the grape the way lemon sometimes can. If you only have lemon on hand, use it. Nobody's going to complain.

"You cool a cobbler not because you're patient, but because the fruit needs the time to figure out what it's doing under there."

Let it cool for a good 20 to 30 minutes before anyone touches it. I know that's the hardest part. But that's the window where the grape juices settle and thicken underneath the batter instead of running everywhere the second you cut into it.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 stick (113g) butter

• 1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour

• 1½ tsp baking powder

• Pinch salt

• 1 cup low-fat milk (or almond milk)

• 1 cup sugar, plus 1 tbsp extra

• Juice of ½ lime

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 cups seedless Concord grapes (or other fruit) — if they have seeds, halve them and pick the seeds out

  
  

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Place the butter in one 10-inch cast-iron skillet, or split it between two 6.5-inch skillets as I usually do. Set the skillet in the preheating oven and let the butter melt.

3. While the butter melts, toss the grapes with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Set aside.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk in the milk, sugar, vanilla, and lime juice until smooth.

5. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven once the butter has melted. Pour the batter in over the butter, then quickly scatter the sugared grapes over the top. I try to put enough grapes in to really, really cover the batter in the bottom of the pan. I err on the side of almost too many grapes.

6. Set the skillet on a baking sheet to catch any overflow, and return it to the oven. Bake 25–30 minutes, until the batter is golden and has risen up around the fruit.

7. Cool for 20–30 minutes before serving — this is what lets the grape juices thicken underneath.

   
   

Cook's Note: Frozen seedless Concords work here too. Toss them with the sugar and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch before adding — the cornstarch keeps the extra juice from the frozen fruit from thinning out your batter. Because frozen grapes bring more moisture, add 5–10 minutes to the bake time and give the cobbler a full 30–40 minutes to cool before cutting in.

And, if you want more Cobbler goodness, check out the Berry Corn Cobbler.