Pear and Dried Cherry Cobblers

with Ginger-Chocolate Chip Biscuit Topping from Bon Appétit

Filling
2 1/4 pounds firm but ripe Anjou, Bosc, or Comice pears, peeled, cored, cut into
3/4-inch dice
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Topping
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chilled buttermilk
Vanilla ice cream
For filling:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter four 1 1/4-cup custard cups or soufflé dishes; place on
rimmed baking sheet. Combine first 5 ingredients in large bowl; toss to coat. Di
vide filling among prepared custard cups. Dot with 2 tablespoons butter. Bake un
til filling is hot and bubbling around edges, about 20 minutes. Maintain oven te
mperature.

Meanwhile, prepare topping:

Combine sugar and ginger in processor; blend until ginger is finely chopped. Tra
nsfer 1 tablespoon sugar-ginger mixture to small bowl; reserve. Add flour, bakin
g soda, and salt to remaining sugar-ginger mixture in processor; blend 20 second
s. Add butter; using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Transfer to medium bowl. Mix in chocolate chips, then buttermilk (mixture will b
e very moist).
Drop topping by heaping tablespoonfuls onto filling in custard cups (about 4 ver
y generous tablespoons for each); sprinkle with reserved 1 tablespoon sugar-ging
er mixture. Bake until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling thickly,
about 20 minutes. Cool 20 minutes. Serve cobblers with ice cream.