Recipe By Vallery Lomas
Published on November 3, 2025
Often overlooked for cobbler, pears become beautifully tender and luscious in this dessert. Warm spices heighten their floral flavor.
Time
55 minYield
Serves 6 to 8Why This Recipe Works
Pears may be an unexpected choice in a cobbler but it turns out they are a natural fit as they become luscious and juicy when cooked while their flavor transforms to a butterscotch richness. Cooking them briefly in butter, sugar, and aromatics jumpstarts that transformation and blooms the spices, but it turns out that the biscuit topping also benefits from a warm base. When placed on a bubbling filling, the biscuits quickly set and reach lofty heights, so be sure to add the biscuit topping when the filling is still warm and immediately transfer the skillet to the oven for baking. Baking the cobbler in a cast-iron skillet meant less clean-up but it also ensured the cobbler stayed warm for serving.
Ingredients
Equipment
Instructions
Cook along with these step-by-step instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add 3½ pounds ripe but firm bosc pears (peeled, halved, cored, and sliced lengthwise ¼-inch-thick), ½ cup packed (3½ ounces) light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, ¾ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, ½ teaspoon table salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper and stir gently to coat. Once sugar is mostly dissolved and mixture begins to bubble, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until pears are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir 3 tablespoons heavy cream, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, and 1½ teaspoons grated lemon zest together in bowl until no lumps remain then gently stir into pears in skillet. Cook until sauce has thickened, about 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat.
- Meanwhile, whisk ¼ cup (1¾ ounces) granulated sugar, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, remaining 1½ cups flour, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt together in medium bowl. Stir in remaining 1 cup heavy cream and remaining 5 tablespoons melted butter until dough forms.
- Using spoon, drop 1½-inch pieces of dough evenly over hot pear mixture in skillet. Transfer skillet to oven. Bake until biscuits are golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve
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