Fruit Cobbler

With this versatile dessert, you can use blueberries, blackberries, peaches, or whatever combination you choose

July 1, 2015

Leah Hughes,

Earlier this week, we visited the Morganton Farmers Market. (See the full post here.) No matter what area market you visit this time of year, you'll likely see buckets of berries and stone fruits, such as peaches and plums.

While speaking with Paul and Evelyn Benton at the Morganton market, they shared a recipe for fruit cobbler. They said handing out the free recipe has increased their blackberry sales tremendously. The Bentons' recipe reminded me of another cobbler recipe that my family has used for years. While some Southern cooks swear by a double crust to encase their fruit, woven in an elegant lattice pattern on the top — and while I appreciate those intricate pies very much — this simpler recipe is a tasty shortcut.

It is adaptable to whatever berries you have on hand and whatever size cobbler you want to make. For this version, I combined aspects of the Bentons' recipe with my family's. I used a mix of peaches, blackberries, and blueberries, which I purchased from Kings Drive Farmers Market (it's conveniently open on Tuesdays throughout the summer and fall). And I used multiple containers, so I could eat some at home and share some with friends.

If you're looking for a summertime recipe to bring to this weekend's picnic or cookout, give this one a try.

Select your fruit. My recipe called for a pint and a half. While I didn't use all of the fruit pictured, I did go a little heavier on the amount of fruit. Wash the berries first.

Peel the peaches, and slice them. Ripe or slightly overripe peaches make the best cobbler. If the peach has a brown spot or two, that's OK.

Select the size pan or pans. I chose to make two individual cobblers for that night's dessert, and one larger size to share with friends the next day. The recipe is for a 9×13 baking dish, so try to choose a combination of dishes that are approximately equal to that capacity. If you're using multiple dishes, place them on a baking sheet for easy moving in and out of the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a stick of butter in your pan(s), and place the pans in the oven to melt the butter.

While the butter is melting, combine your fruit with approximately half a cup of sugar (more or less depending on your preferred sweetness) and a sprinkle of cornstarch. The cornstarch thickens the fruit juice, so the cobbler isn't too runny.

Stir the fruit mixture together.

In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup sugar, 1 cup self-rising flour, 1 cup milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Keep an eye on the butter melting in the oven. Remove it before it starts to brown.

Pour the sugar and flour mixture on top of the melted butter. It might look odd at first, but that's OK.

Then pour the fruit mixture on top, and place the cobbler in the oven. As the cobbler bakes, the fruit will sink to the bottom, and the crust will rise to the top.

If you use dishes that are different sizes, start checking the smaller ones after about 30 minutes. These two individual cobblers were done in 33 minutes. Every oven is different.