Chocolate Chip and Cherry Cobbler

Ingredients

• Fresh cherries (4 cups, pitted and halved)
• Granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
• Cornstarch (2 tablespoons)
• Lemon juice (1 tablespoon)
• All-purpose flour (1 cup)
• Baking powder (1 teaspoon)
• Salt (1/4 teaspoon)
• Unsalted butter (1/2 cup, cold and cubed)
• Milk (1/2 cup)
• Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips (1/2 cup)
• Turbinado sugar (2 tablespoons (for topping))

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. In a large bowl, combine the pitted cherries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Mix well to ensure the cherries are evenly coated. Set aside to macerate for about 10 minutes.
3. Transfer the cherry mixture into a greased 9x9-inch baking dish, spreading it evenly across the bottom.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
5. Add the cold cubed butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
6. Stir in the milk and vanilla extract until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
7. Gently fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips.
8. Using a spoon, drop dollops of the dough over the cherry mixture in the baking dish, leaving gaps for the cherries to peek through.
9. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar evenly over the cobbler topping for a delightful crunch.
10. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the cobbler topping is golden brown and the cherry filling is bubbly and fragrant.
11. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy it warm, ideally with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.