.blackberry cobbler.

summers are made for watching fireflies glow, stealing naps under a fan, reading books that make you laugh and eating cobbler. my friend, scrimp, had been talking about a fresh cobbler and i usually assume any mention of a baked good in my presence is a personal call for me to get busy in the kitchen.

when i asked her what her favorite cobbler was she told me she liked both peach and blackberry. i'd made peach bars and peach cake, but had never made a blackberry focused sweet. so, i knew which way i had to lean and set out to find my berries and a round-up of other ingredients.

working with the berries was a playground for the senses because of their rich hues. there was a constant struggle between wanting to savor them with my eyes or with my tongue. my tongue usually won.

to tell you the truth, i was a little rocky on the whole cobbler concept. i knew a cobblestone street was part of it's name derivation, but that still didn't tell me much about this pie concept with a twist. after some research, i realized that there is no definitive answer. what one considers a cobbler varies and it was my choice to travel down the cobbled road i desired.

i went for the type of cobbler that had to be served with a big spoon and figured that was a safe detour from an actual pie. all the berries were dolled up and put into the bottom of the dish and then the prepared pie-like dough was torn and clumped across the top of the berries. the cobbled look helps explain the dish's name.

before putting it in the awaiting oven, i sprinkled sugar all over the top to encourage a glistening appeal. when it was time to remove the cobbler. i couldn't wait to see how it looked. the berries had made deep purple splashes along the side and the top was a rustic golden brown. unfortunately, i planned on carting this cobbler to a friends get-together and knew there was no way for me to sneak a piece without it being obvious. so, i had to wait. i'm not good at waiting.

when it was time to bring out dessert, i reheated the cobbler a bit and served it up to my hosting friends, plus scrimp and my eye guy with a big dollop of vanilla ice cream riding side saddle. i'd say it was a summer hit and was one recipe i'll be making again and again. (i know this because i already have in individual ramekins for my own weeknight dining pleasure.)

blackberry cobbler
thanks to the pioneer woman
ingredients
6 cups Fresh Or Frozen Blackberries
1/2 cup Plus 4 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1/2 whole Zest Of Lemon
2 cups Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/4 cup Crisco (vegetable Shortening)
4 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole Egg
1/2 cup Milk

directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine blackberries, ½ cup sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a mixing bowl. Stir and spread out in a buttered pyrex dish.
In a separate bowl pour flour, salt, baking powder, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Add shortening and butter and work mixture together with a pastry blender (or your fingers) until the mixture is coarse. Measure ½ cup milk, add an egg, and mix together. Pour into flour mixture, stirring as you go. Mixture should be smooth and not dry, but not over stickly.
Take clumps of dough and place them on top of the blackberries. Lightly flatten dough with your fingertips. Sprinkle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of sugar and bake until golden for 30 minutes. Berry juice will be slightly thin, but don’t be afraid. It will gradually soak into the biscuity topping and make your life complete.