Cherry Cobbler with Sweet Cream Biscuits

For the fruit:

• 1 ½ lbs. Rainier cherries, pitted
• ¼ c. granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. almond extract

For the biscuits:

• 1 ¾ c. all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• ¼ c. granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. coarse salt
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled in freezer until very cold
• 1 c. heavy whipping cream, plus more for brushing
• ¼ c. sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place cherries in a large bowl. Add sugar, cornstarch and almond extract and toss well to coat fruit. Spoon mixture into a baking dish large enough to hold all the fruit.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a box grater with large holes, grate butter into flour mixture. Slowly stir in cream, using a fork to combine until dough just comes together. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and turn out dough on surface. Use your hands to gather the dough to form a large ball. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out dough to a 3/4-inch thickness. With a biscuit cutter or knife, cut out 6 to 8 rounds or squares of dough. Place biscuits on top of cherry mixture and brush with cream.

Place the baking dish on a baking sheet to catch any juices that bubble over. Bake cobbler until biscuits are golden and juices are bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes. Sprinkle biscuit tops with sliced almonds for last 5 minutes of cooking time. Serve warm with whipped cream.