Blackberries grow wild in the greenbelt behind my house.. and everywhere else, it seems. The plants are
nasty, with thorns on everything. Blackberry tentacles ensnare other plants, sometimes growing straight up, then over anything in their path. Along roads, it's common to see the shoots sticking out well into the pedestrian lane/shoulder. This leaves the rider a choice of being whacked by a car or the thorny evilness. Except during a few weeks in August when the berries are ripe, the plant is a scourge. Last night, however, I made a blackberry cobbler.
Fruit Mixture:
- 4 C fresh blackberries, washed. There's a lot of crud that will come off wild berries. It's best not to ask too many questions.
- 1 C water - blackberries are very fibrous. For cobbler, you'll need some liquid.
- 1 C sugar
- 2 T whole wheat flour -- this is to thicken the liquid
- 6 T butter
In a 8x8x2 dish, mix the berries and water. Separately, mix the sugar and flour, and pour it evenly on top of the fruit. (It's not necessary to stir it all in.) Cut the 6T of butter into nine or sixteen pieces, and lay the little squares on top of the fruit mixture in roughly evenly distributed intervals.
This is cobbler. Precision is unimportant.
Crust: The crust is relatively standard. Stir the dry ingredients, then "cut" in the fats and the 3T water using the pastry blender.
- 1/3 C shortening
- 1 T butter
- 1 1/2 C whole wheat flour
- 3 T ice water
- 1 T sugar
When you're done, roll it out on a floured surface. If you're feeling fancy, and it's not 11pm when you do this, cut strips and make a fancy lattice. Otherwise, make it the shape of your pan, about 1/4" thick. Plop the square on top of the fruit mixture.
Bake at 400°F for thirty minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F and bake another 20 minutes, or until the crust is a golden brown.
As the cobbler cools, the juice will thicken.
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