Celebrate berry season with this inhalable blackberry cobbler.
As the late poet Seamus Heaney wrote, “summer’s blood” is inside blackberries, “leaving stains upon the tongue and lust for picking.” It’s just the season for picking, too. The end of summer through early autumn is berry season and has berry pickers rushing to the bush. There are 13 pick-your-own farms across West Virginia that offer fresh, off-the-cane blackberries. Find one near you, or celebrate the season at the West Virginia Blackberry Festival, held July 30 through August 1 in Nutter Fort. On Saturday, August 1, “berry” the competition at the festival’s 2 p.m. baking contest. Light and buttery crusts top smooth blackberry filling that’s just the right combination of tart and sweet. This cobbler is dangerous; the plate will be empty before you—or the judges—know it.
Blackberry Cobbler
Equipment
- 8×8-inch baking dish
- Medium-sized mixing bowl
Ingredients
Filling
- 4 cups blackberries fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
Crust
- 1 stick butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg lightly beatened
- 1 cup self-rising flour can be substituted for 1 cup all-purpose flour with 1½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
For filling
- Put fruit into 8×8-inch baking dish. Combine sugar and cornstarch. Sprinkle over fruit.
For crust
- Mix butter and sugar. Stir in egg. Gradually add flour and mix well. The mixture will have a consistency of heavy cake batter. Drop spoonfuls on top of fruit. The topping will spread out as it cooks.
- Bake until light brown and the topping doesn’t shake, usually 1 hour. Test with a toothpick. Yield: Eight servings
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