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Silver spoon inside a baking dish with blackberry cobbler.

Old Fashioned Blackberry Cobbler

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This homemade blackberry cobbler has a layer of juicy blackberries and a crunchy biscuit topping that are fantastic served with a scoop of ice cream. A quick and easy dessert, ready in an hour that can be made ahead, frozen, and eaten at room temperature. 

  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

Units

For the berries:

  • 4-5 cups blackberries, fresh or frozen (see Notes below)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch (see Notes below if using frozen berries)
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar

For the topping:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons buttermilk
  • Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream to serve, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.

For the berry mixture:

  1. Have ready an 8x11-inch (or a 9-inch round or square baking dish) ceramic or glass dish. 
  2. Mix blackberries directly in the baking dish (or in a medium bowl and then add to the dish) with the lemon zest and sugar.
  3. Mix cornstarch with the lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth and no lumps remain. Pour over the blackberry mixture and mix lightly. 

For the topping:

  1. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. 
  2. Add buttermilk and then the warm melted butter. 
  3. Mix lightly with a fork or spoon. Don’t over-mix or beat it so that the biscuit bakes soft and tender. It should be like a scone or thick muffin batter.  
  4. Spoon mounds of this mixture over the blackberries. 
  5. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until it’s dry, golden and, when you carefully lift the topping with a fork, it’s completely done. Make sure you check this as it sometimes appears well baked on top but still needs some time to fully bake inside. 

Notes

  • Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
  • Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. 
  • Blackberries:
    - Fresh berries are always preferred when in season, but frozen ones absolutely work too! Use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch for the filling, as they usually release more liquid.
    - If you like a very sweet dessert, or if the berries are too sour, add up to 3 more tablespoons of sugar to the blackberry filling. 
    - Fruit to topping ratio: I like more fruit than biscuit, so I use 5 cups of fruit. But if you like less fruit, use only 4 cups. 
  • Homemade buttermilk: mix 1 cup of milk (preferably whole milk) with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes at room temperature until it thickens and slightly curdles. Stir it once more, and measure it again before using. 
  • Crunchier topping: you can use more sugar, double the amount in the recipe, if you like a topping that has more crunch than crumb. 
  • Serving: cobblers are served directly on the dish they were baked in, so make sure you use one you like to take to the table. A dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream rounds up the plate. I use a lovely ceramic rectangular dish from Emile Henry.
  • Make ahead: you can make it a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator, covered. Warm in a 350°F (180°C) oven before eating. This dessert can be frozen after it's baked. Also, blueberries can be kept year-round in the freezer, and the topping comes together in ten minutes. So it's very easy to put together.
  • Author: Paula Montenegro
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/6
  • Calories: 232
  • Sugar: 14 g
  • Sodium: 112.3 mg
  • Fat: 8.6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 36.9 g
  • Fiber: 5.7 g
  • Protein: 3.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 21.2 mg