This recipe is for a “Southern-Style Blackberry Cobbler,” a rustic and comforting dessert featuring a luscious fruit filling topped with a sweet, biscuit-like crust. The image displays a close-up of the cobbler baked in a foil pan, suggesting ease of preparation and transport. The top crust is golden brown and appears slightly cracked, dusted with what looks like granulated sugar for a sweet, caramelized finish. Beneath the crust, the rich, deep purple and red juices of the blackberries are visible, bubbling up around the edges, indicating a warm, fruity filling. This type of cobbler is often characterized by its tender, cake-like or biscuit-like topping rather than a pie crust, making it a perfect easy-to-scoop dessert, especially when served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s a classic example of comfort food, ideal for summer when fresh berries are in season, but equally enjoyable year-round with frozen berries.
Ingredients:
For the Blackberry Filling:
- 6 cups fresh or frozen blackberries (if frozen, do not thaw)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (adjust to sweetness of berries)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (or 2 tablespoons cornstarch for a thicker filling)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (enhances fruit flavor)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional, for warm spice)
For the Topping:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar (plus 1-2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
- ½ cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
Equipment:
- 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) baking dish or large oven-safe foil pan
- Large bowl (for fruit filling)
- Medium bowl (for topping)
- Pastry blender or two knives (for cutting in butter)
- Whisk or fork
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Spatula
Instructions:
Part 1: Prepare the Blackberry Filling
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Combine Filling Ingredients: In a large bowl, gently combine the fresh or frozen blackberries, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup all-purpose flour (or cornstarch), lemon juice, vanilla extract, and optional ground cinnamon. Toss gently until the berries are evenly coated.
- Pour into Dish: Pour the blackberry mixture evenly into your 9×13 inch baking dish or foil pan.
Part 2: Prepare the Cobbler Topping
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut in Butter: Add the cold, cubed unsalted butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
- Add Milk: Pour in the milk and stir with a fork just until the dry ingredients are moistened and a soft dough forms. Do not overmix; a few lumps are fine.
Part 3: Assemble and Bake
- Drop Topping: Drop spoonfuls of the cobbler dough evenly over the blackberry filling. Don’t worry if it doesn’t cover every bit; it will spread as it bakes.
- Sprinkle Sugar: Sprinkle the remaining 1-2 tablespoons of granulated sugar generously over the top of the cobbler topping. This will help create a nice golden crust.
- Bake: Place the cobbler in the preheated oven. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown, the fruit filling is bubbly, and the juices are thick. If the topping starts to brown too quickly, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil.
- Cool Slightly: Once baked, remove the cobbler from the oven and let it cool for at least 15-20 minutes before serving. This allows the filling to set further.
Part 4: Serve
- Serve Warm: Serve the Southern-Style Blackberry Cobbler warm, either on its own or traditionally with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Tips for Success:
- Fresh vs. Frozen Berries: Both fresh and frozen blackberries work well. If using frozen, do not thaw them beforehand; simply toss them with the sugar and flour directly.
- Don’t Overmix Topping: Overmixing the topping can lead to a tough crust. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
- Adjust Sugar: The amount of sugar in the filling can be adjusted based on the sweetness of your blackberries. Taste a berry if you can and adjust accordingly.
- Thickening Agent: Flour helps thicken the filling. For an even thicker, more jelly-like consistency, cornstarch can be used instead of or in addition to flour.
- Golden Crust: The sprinkle of sugar on top of the dough helps create a beautiful golden and slightly crispy crust.
- Serving Warm: Cobblers are truly best served warm, as the fruit filling is soft and luscious, and the topping is tender.
- Storage: Store any leftover cobbler, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or oven.
- Variations:
- Mixed Berries: Feel free to use a mix of berries like raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries along with the blackberries.
- Spices: A pinch of nutmeg or allspice can be added to the fruit filling for extra warmth.
- Nutty Topping: For added texture, you can mix a couple of tablespoons of chopped pecans or almonds into the cobbler topping dough.
- Not a Savory Dish: This Southern-Style Blackberry Cobbler is a sweet dessert. It is distinct from savory meals such as Sizzling Chinese Pepper Steak with Onions, Longhorn Steakhouse Parmesan Chicken, Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza, Dorito Taco Salad, Hearty Ground Beef Cabbage Soup, Pan-Fried Cod with Lemon Butter Sauce, Crispy Ground Beef Rolls, Southern-Style Cheddar Cheese Quick Bread, Fish Cutlets, Old Fashioned Salisbury Steak, Shepherd’s Pie, Braised Oxtail, Garlic Parmesan Fried Lamb Chops, or Mac and Cheese.
- Comparison to other desserts: While a “cobbler”, this is a specific type of fruit dessert and differs from pies like Maple Cream Pie or the unnamed pie in image_ba1c7c.jpg, and hand pies like Fried Apple or Peach Pies. It is also distinct from cheesecakes like Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake, Lemon Meringue Cheesecake, or No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake Lasagna. It is also not other cakes such as Classic Homemade Fruit Cake, Classic Apple Bundt Cake, Fluffy Asian-Style Sponge Cakes (Mamon), Super Soft Vanilla Breakfast Cake, Classic Homemade Strawberry Cake, Healthy Carrot Cake, Chocolate Cake, various Pound Cakes (e.g., Caramel Cream Cheese Pound Cake, Pineapple Pecan Cream Cheese Pound Cake, Orange Blender Cake, Peach Cobbler Pound Cake, Strawberry Yogurt Cake), other Bundt Cakes (e.g., Blueberry Bundt Cake), Cranberry Cake, Pineapple Coconut Dream Cake, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake, or Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes. It is also not a cookie, a pudding (like Creamy Lemon Pudding, Leche Flan, Strawberry Banana Pudding or Pineapple Dream), ice cream, fudge, or a pastry (like Mini Cherry Cheese Danish or Vanilla Custard Puff Pastry Squares). It is not a condiment like Lemon Curd, a loaf of bread or a beverage.