Berry Cobbler
Desserts
fresh or frozen [I used mostly fresh blackberries and some blueberries'
or up to 1 1/2 T.
cold
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Toss the berries with the sugar and flour. Use the larger amount of flour if the berries are very juicy. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the cobbler dough. Using your fingers or a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal. [I used my pastry blender for awhile, then used my fingers to break down the remaining little shards of butter.] Add the cream and mix lightly, until the dry ingredients are just moistened. [You can prepare the dry ingredients and butter up to a few days ahead, storing it in the refrigerator. The cream should not be added until you’re ready to bake.]
4. Put the berry mixture into a 1½-quart baking dish. With your hands, scoop up lumps of dough and form into rough patties, 2 to 2½ inches in diameter and about 1/2 inch thick. The dough may be a little sticky, so it helps to moisten my hands with a little water. Arrange the dough patties on top of the berries. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the topping is set and lightly browned and the berry juices bubble thickly around the edges of the dish.
5. Serve warm, with cream to pour over. This is best when still warm, but it's also good at room temp. [Can also serve with vanilla ice cream.]
This cobbler keeps well at room temperature for about two days. (I don’t like to refrigerate it, because the texture of the topping changes.) Rewarm it gently, if you want, before serving. The original version of this recipe calls for boysenberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Molly made it with roughly 3 cups of blueberries and 1½ cups of raspberries, and she loves the flavor that results. The only berries that don’t work so nicely here are strawberries. The texture gets weird: spongy and slimy, a little reminiscent of a jellyfish. Oh, and if you’re using frozen berries, I recommend thawing them at least partially, or else they take a little longer to cook.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 412 Calories; 23g Fat (49.7% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 48g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 72mg Cholesterol; 331mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 4 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.