Tomato Cobbler

Ingredients

• 1.5 teaspoons double-acting baking powder 
• 0.1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
• 1.5 cups flour all-purpose
• 3 tablespoons flour all-purpose
• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves fresh chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 
• 6 servings kosher salt 
• 6 servings kosher salt and pepper black freshly ground
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar light packed
• 0.7 cup milk plus more for brushing
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1.8 pounds tomatoes cut into 1-inch chunks
• 3 tablespoons butter unsalted
• 6 tablespoons butter unsalted cold thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• whisk
• baking pan
• pastry cutter

Directions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, thyme and cayenne and cook 1 more minute.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, brown sugar and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until the tomatoes just begin to soften, 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat, then gently stir in the cherry tomatoes and flour.
6. Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish and dot with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter.
7. Whisk the flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste in a medium bowl.
8. Add the butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse meal with pea-size pieces of butter.
9. Add the milk, mustard and thyme and gently mix with a fork just until a sticky dough forms, being careful not to overwork the dough.
10. Drop balls of dough over the tomato filling and brush the dough with milk.
11. Place the cobbler on a baking sheet and bake until golden and bubbling, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
12. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.
13. Photograph by Anna Williams