Sonker with Milk Dip
Pastry:
- 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup firmly packed cold lard or vegetable shortening
- 1 large egg lightly beaten with 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon mixed with ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 8 cups (2 quarts) blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, pitted dark red cherries, or peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced peaches (about 4½ pounds peaches)
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 3 cups milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
Sonkers are cobblers unique to Surry County, North Carolina, which abuts the Virginia state line just where the foothills begin their climb toward the Blue Ridge.
- For the pastry: Whisk the flour and salt together in a large mixing bowl, then, using a pastry blender, cut in the lard until as fine as possible. Add the egg-vinegar mixture, then fork briskly to form a soft but workable dough. Shape into a ball, divide in half, then shape each half into a round about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic food wrap and refrigerate for several hours.
- When ready to proceed, preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a 13 × 9 × 2-inch baking pan and set aside.
- For the filling: Combine the sugar, flour, and spice in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the water, melted butter, and almond extract. Add the fruit and toss well to mix.
- To assemble the sonker: Roll each half of the pastry dough on a lightly floured surface into a 13 × 9-inch rectangle. Using a sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut one pastry rectangle crosswise into 1-inch strips and the second rectangle lengthwise into 1-inch strips. Reserve five nice 13-inch strips and seven pretty 9-inch strips.
- Press the remaining strips over the bottom of the baking pan so they cover it completely. Slide onto the middle oven shelf and bake for 12 minutes; do not brown. Remove from the oven and raise the oven temperature to 375° F.
- Scoop the fruit mixture on top of the partially baked pastry, spreading to the corners. Top with the reserved pastry strips, crisscrossing them in a lattice design. Brush the pastry strips generously with the 2 tablespoons melted butter, then sprinkle with the 3 tablespoons sugar.
- Return the sonker to the middle oven shelf and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until bubbling and nicely browned.
- Toward the end of baking, prepare the milk dip: Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a medium-size heavy saucepan, then whisk in the milk. Set over moderate heat and cook, whisking constantly, for about 3 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla and salt.
- Cool the sonker for about 10 minutes (especially important if it’s made with berries or peaches), then cut into large squares. Arrange on heated dessert plates, and pass the milk dip so that everyone can help himself.