Summer Berry Cobbler

Sweetened “jewels of the season” - berries and more berries in all their glory, topped with a tender, slightly sweetened biscuit topping and a final crowning scattering of streusel. What could be more delicious! (Oh, with a bit of ice cream!)

Summer Berry Cobbler

7 cups mixed berries such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, huckleberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

pinch of salt

BISCUIT TOPPING

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed

3 tablespoons shortening

1/2 cup buttermilk, cold

STREUSEL TOPPING:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup oatmeal

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter melted and cooled slightly

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and butter an 8 x 10 inch baking dish.

-Make the filling: In a large bowl, gently fold the berries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, salt and vanilla extract together until thoroughly combined. Spread filling evenly into prepared pan.

-Make the biscuit topping: Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter and shortening into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal (pea-sized crumbs). A pastry cutter makes this step simpler! You could also use a food processor by pulsing 8 - 10 times or even mix and crumble it by hand.

-Slowly drizzle in the buttermilk and stir gently just until evenly combined (don’t over handle the dough.). Take spoonfuls of dough and dollop all over the top of the of the berries, spreading with your fingers so that the topping is evenly distributed. (It will not cover the entire surface of the berries but will rise as it bakes to cover them.)

Make the Streusel Topping: Combine all the ingredients for the streusel in a medium bowl and mix and mash with a fork until combined. Scatter the streusel over the top of the biscuit dough.

-Bake for 45-55 minutes at 350 degrees, or until golden brown and biscuit topping is cooked through and the berry mixture is bubling. Set the pan on a wire rack, then cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream. Or if preferred serve it at room temperature or chilled. It’s good at any temperature, depending on your preference.

-Can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serves 8 - 10

Dollop biscuit topping over the berries in the buttered baking dish.

Scatter streusel topping over the biscuit topping.

Bake until biscuits are done and berries are bubbly.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, at room temperature or chilled!

Oh Summer Yum!

PERSNICKETY NOTES:

**You can use frozen berries instead of fresh, (which may be cheaper) however frozen berries will create a more liquidy berry layer, which isn’t a problem. I prefer to use fresh berries when possible but frozen work well enough. If using frozen, don’t thaw the berries ahead of time, but mix with the other filling ingredients as described above.

**Use your favorite berries! I prefer a mixture of about 2 1/2 cups blueberries, 2 1/2 cups raspberries and 2 cups blackberries. I avoid using strawberries as I find I don’t care for their baked flavor, but many people add those as well.

**Don’t prepare the cobbler too far ahead of baking as the biscuit topping won’t rise as much if it sits for long.

**For best results, you shouldn’t freeze cobbler before it’s baked but you can freeze it after baking and cooling, covered well. Before serving, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm in the oven before serving.

**If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own by combining 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a 1/2 cup of whole milk. Stir it together and let it sit for about 10 - 15 minutes until it thickens. You can also use sour cream by measuring about 1/3 cup of sour cream and thinning it with milk until it reaches 1/2 cup.

** You can also make individual cobblers by dividing the various components into ramekins. The bake time will vary depending on the size of the ramekin so watch them carefully. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake until the biscuit topping is golden brown and the berries are bubbling.