Blackberry Farm’s Blackberry Cobbler
By late June, the blackberries on the farm have arrived at their peak. The berries are half the size of commercially grown berries and are purple-black and juicy, with tiny seeds and crisp skin, which makes them stand up well in desserts such as cobblers. This biscuit-dough version of cobbler allows you to use more berries, and the dough soaks up more berry juice than other pastry does. The recipe calls for a cast-iron skillet, but this cobbler can also be made in any ovenproof dish. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Ingredients
- 8 cups fresh blackberries
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- Zest and juice of 1/2 lime
- 1 Tbs. cornstarch
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/8 tsp. fine sea salt
- 6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and chilled
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
Directions
Preheat an oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, toss together the blackberries, 1 cup of the sugar and the lime zest. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice and cornstarch until smooth. Drizzle the lime juice mixture over the blackberry mixture and toss to combine. Scrape the blackberry mixture into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour mixture until it is the texture of coarse meal. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour the buttermilk into the well and stir with a fork until the mixture comes together. Crumble the dough evenly over the top of the blackberry mixture in the skillet.
Bake the cobbler until the blackberry filling is bubbling and the topping is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let the cobbler rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8.
Adapted from The Blackberry Farm Cookbook, by Sam Beall (Clarkson Potter, 2009).