Rhubarb Cobbler (Roasted)

Source: Melissa Clark, New York Times Cooking

Ingredients

Rhubarb Filling

1 vanilla bean, or 1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 lbs rhubarb, trimmed and cut into ½″ pieces (about 7 cups)
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp orange zest
1 pinch kosher salt

Biscuit Topping

¾ cup flour, plus more for shaping
2 tbsp sugar
2¼ tsp baking powder
kosher salt
3 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes
⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp heavy cream, plus more for serving
Demerara sugar, for sprinkling

Method

Heat the oven to 425°F. Using the tip of a paring knife, scrape the pulp out of the vanilla bean halves and add the pulp to a 1½ quart gratin or baking dish or 9 x 9 pan, along with the scraped-out pods. (Alternatively, add the paste or extract to the pan.) Add the rhubarb, sugar, zest, and salt, and toss well. Let sit at room temperature to macerate while preparing the biscuit dough.
Make the biscuit dough: put the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the cubed butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle in the heavy cream a little at a time, pulsing until the dough just clumps together, taking care not to overprocess.
Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and gently pat it together until it’s a cohesive lump. Using a small ice cream scoop or a large spoon, form the dough into 6 evenly sized balls. Slightly flatten the dough balls into thick rounds. Cover the rounds with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes (and up to 6 hours).
Put the rhubarb in the oven and roast, stirring halfway through, until the rhubarb has softened and the liquid has formed a syrup, about 30 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and use tongs to remove the vanilla bean pods.
Lower the oven temperature to 375°F. Arrange the biscuit rounds on top of the rhubarb, leaving space in between them. Brush the biscuits with the remaining tablespoon of heavy cream and sprinkle with Demerara sugar.
Bake the cobbler until the biscuits are golden brown, about 25 to 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, with cream or ice cream, if you like.