Vintage Sonker Cobbler
I’m obsessed with the name. Sonker. Isn’t it great? It’s fun to say. Sonker.
It’s a cobbler, but not just any cobbler, North Carolina can claim this extra special treat. They invented it. In fact, it’s so dearly loved in the area, there’s even a Sonker trail - Surry Sonker Trail to be precise, so if you’re a cobbler fan, you have to add that to your bucket list. Oh, and a Sonker Festival, too! It’s the regional favorite you’ve probably never heard of, but I can’t wait to introduce you to this delectable dessert.
I love foods that have different versions for different regions, and cobbler is especially interesting for all its variations according to where they are from. Sonker is a particularly regional dish, so much so that most people outside of North Carolina don’t even know about it, which I think is a crime because it is absolutely delicious!
There are a few things that make this cobbler particularly unique. The first is that you bake the fruit before you add the topping. So, the fruit is baked down to rich, syrupy deliciousness before you even top it with the crust.
Then there’s the crust itself. Rather than a crunchy, crumbly top, or even a biscuity top, the batter is more like a pancake. Poured over the hot, bubbling fruit, it begins to cook even before you return it to the oven. And it doesn’t rise much, it’s designed to stay flat, which is where the name comes from. Sonker, like sinker…as in it sinks and stays flat.
It very much tastes like a soft, delicate pancake steamed in rich, sweet fruit, with a golden brown buttery baked top.
I had never tried a Sonker before, so I was particularly excited to taste it, and boy was I blown away. Like any cobbler, you can use almost any fruit, so I used blueberries to make mine, and it tasted like the best blueberry pancake I’ve ever had. Baking the fruit first means it’s extra rich, almost like a jam, the perfect pairing for the tender, lightly sweet crust.
It really is perfect, so let me show you how to make one using a recipe I found inside the vintage community cookbook More Saratoga Secrets, from Peggy Hardt. It’s super easy to make.
All you need to do for the first part is combine water and cornstarch. Whisk those together make sure you work out any lumps, then add it to your fresh fruit.
I’m using blueberries because that’s what is in season in my area at the moment, but almost any fruit will work, so use whatever you can get ahold of at the moment.
Add some sugar as well. How much sugar depends on the fruit. The recipe calls for a 1/2 to a whole cup, so use your judgement. My berries are very ripe and sweet, I picked them vine-ripened at the height of sweetness, so I’m going to use 1/2 cup, but if your using something tart like green apples, or a fruit that isn’t very ripe, feel free to use a whole cup.
Give it a good stir, then transfer it to a baking dish. Now it’s time to bake it, just like this, for 30 minutes, stirring halfway. After 15 minutes in the oven, you can see the berries are starting to breakdown, and the cornstarch is starting to thicken the sauce. You may even see little jelly-like pieces forming, especially around the edges.
Stir it really well, making sure to scrape the outer corners, then pop it back in the oven. While the fruit bakes for another 15 minutes, we’ll make the batter for the top.
It’s a simple pancake-like batter made from flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. The recipe says sift them, but I’m just going to whisk it. Then add milk, and melted butter.
I used regular milk, but I think it would be delicious to lean in to the pancake flavor by using buttermilk. Give that a good mix, then wait for your fruit to finish baking.
You’ll want to make sure the batter is ready to go as soon as the fruit comes out of the oven. It should be bubbling hot when you pour it on, since the hot fruit is supposed to start cooking the batter immediately, so no waiting for it to cool, just pour it right on.
That’s it! Ready to go back in the oven. After one more bake, you’ll have yourself an authentic, North Carolina Sonker in all its bubbly sweet, tender deliciousness!
As simple as the recipe is, this cobbler had the most unique flavor. I did not expect the fluffy soft crust to be so delicate and satisfying. The fruit really steamed it like a dumpling, while the top baked to golden, buttery perfection.
I know it’s terrible, but am I the only one who likes to sneak a scoop of cobbler for breakfast the next day? If you do, too, then you’re in for a treat, because I can’t imagine there’s a better cobbler for breakfast out there.
I’m so grateful Peggy Hardt shared her recipe in her community’s cookbook, and I’m grateful to North Carolina for making one of my new favorite cobblers! It’s amazing! I hope it inspires you to save more vintage spiral bound community cookbooks and cook more old recipes!
KITCHENWARE USED IN THIS RECIPE
Other Recipes in this Series
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Vintage Cobbler and Grunt
A classic Cobbler and its counterpart, the Grunt. Two of the oldest cobblers, and you can use the same recipe to create them both! The only difference - how you cook them. Baked or steamed - which would you want a scoop of?
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Vintage Buckle Cobbler
Upside down cobbler! A Buckle is a uniquely simple cobbler you can whip up quickly and easily.
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Vintage Crisp and Crumble Recipes
Buttery, crunchy, gooey sweet - the perfect dessert!
