Dad’s Fresh Berry Cobbler

I am my father’s daughter in many ways – I got his long legs and his analytical nature, his love of puzzles and his frugal approach to money. I did not, however, inherit his taste in desserts. Dad wants mixed berry pie, I choose chocolate chip cookies. He wants fruit trifle, I pick triple fudge brownies.

This means that summer is primetime for dad’s favorite desserts – the weather is hot and the fruit is fresh. Even I have to admit that the sweet taste of berries sounds delicious for a summer evening. Recently Ryan and I spent a beautiful Sunday afternoon relaxing with my family. It was the perfect day to pick up some fresh raspberries and blackberries to prepare Southern Berry Cobbler for Dad. It turned out great! And you know it must be true if this is coming from a die-hard chocolate fan!

To make your cobbler, begin by preheating your oven to 400° F. Then, pull out a 3-quart saucepan, and add the filling ingredients – fresh (rinsed) blackberries and raspberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and cinnamon. Cook the filling over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.

Bring the mixture to a full boil and then continue to cook the filling for one more minute. My experience was that the raspberries broke down, but the blackberries held their shape well.

Spread the berry filling into the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish.It’s now time to hustle to prepare the biscuit mixture, so the filling will stay warm.

To get the biscuit batter ready, just combine the all-purpose baking mix, milk, melted butter and a tablespoon of sugar in a medium-sized bowl.

Scoop eight equal ”lumps” or spoonfuls of biscuit batter onto the pan of berry filling. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar over top of the dough, and then place the pan into the oven.

The recipe says to bake the cobbler for 25-30 minutes, but I recommend checking it after 20. The most important thing is to make sure that the biscuit part doesn’t over-cook. So, keep an eye on it – when the biscuits are just getting golden, and the filling around the edges begins to bubble, it’s ready to come out!

Allow the cobbler to cool for about 30 minutes. When it has gone from scalding hot to pleasantly warm, serve it up. Add some whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, like we did, and you’ll have the perfect combination! The result? One happy dad!

Prepare your own Southern Berry Cobbler this summer and enjoy the fresh taste of berries that everybody loves. Even chocolate devotees like myself will be won over!

Come back in a few days when Alex will share a fun twist on a kabob recipe.

Amanda is paid to write for the Land O’Lakes Recipe Buzz® Blog.