Blackberry "Cobbler" Maguire

After having that big bowl of Hearty Turkey Noodle Soup you deserve a great dessert. This is definitely not like most cobblers. The comment you will hear from everyone is "That's the best cobbler I've ever had". I also make this with peaches.

There "were" at least 25 pounds each of blackberries and peaches in my freezer from the summer generosity of neighbors and friends. These cobblers are made for every occasion, summer or winter, church potluck dinners, hostess gifts, friends not well, funeral food (that's a whole posting of it's own later) holiday dinner, etc.

Before we get started let me warn you this will look like the biggest mess you have ever seen when you start putting it together. Don't worry, my oven and yours come equipped with oven angels. They will fluff this mess back together and it will be beautiful. Trust me.

Blackberry "Cobbler" Maguire - Gourmet/June 1996
Printable Version

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, 1/2 stick cut into bits and chilled
1 cup water
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups self-rising cake flour
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups fresh or frozen blackberries (about 1 pound)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a 10-inch glass pie plate or baking dish (deep dish) melt 1/2 stick uncut butter in oven.

In a small saucepan combine water and 1 cup sugar and heat over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until sugar is completely dissolved.

In a food processor pulse together flour and remaining 1/2 stick cup-up butter until mixture resembles fine meal. Add milk and pulse just until dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and with a floured rolling pin roll into an 11-by9-inch rectangle. Sprinkle dough with cinnamon and scatter blackberries evenly over top. Beginning with a long side roll up dough jelly-roll fashion and cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices. (Yes, this is a mess, but remember the oven angels will fix it.) Arrange slices, cut side up, on melted butter in pie plate or baking dish. Pour syrup over slices, soaking dough, and bake "cobbler" in middle of oven for 45 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over cobbler and bake 15 minutes more, or until golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream.

COOK'S NOTE: I can never find self-rising cake flour, so just add 2 teaspoons baking powder and 3/4 teaspoons salt to the 1 1/2 cups of regular cake flour.