Recipe | Blackberry-Nectarine Cobbler

I've never understood people's love of pies. Sure, a good banana or chocolate cream is alright, but the ones with all that mushy fruit and gelatinous sauce? Might be my least favorite dessert. Ever. I can't really explain it other than I am very particular about textures. I ate cereal without milk until the age of ten and only in the last few years have I been able to stomach oatmeal. I know, I'm odd, but bear with me here.

So you might wonder why a pie-loathing person such as myself would make a cobbler. Well, when Ez over at Creature Comforts posted this compelling photo, I actually felt a physical need to make this dessert. Plus, cobbler is so much easier to make than pie, not to mention that blackberries and nectarines (oh, the white ones, like heaven...) are some of my favorite fruits. While I can't say I'm a total fruit dessert convert, this particular one has some amazing flavor - especially when paired with a scoop of vanilla Häagen-Dazs!



Blackberry-Nectarine Cobbler

For filling:
6 cups blackberries and nectarines, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp finely grated lemon peel
pinch of salt

For topping:
1-1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp raw sugar
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 375°C/176°F. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.

For filling: In a large bowl, gently toss the berries, nectarines and cherries with the sugar, flour, lemon and salt until blended. Pour into prepared dish.

For the topping: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, whisk the egg, buttermilk, butter and vanilla until well blended. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and, using a rubber spatula, fold gently until the flour is moistened and the mixture forms a soft dough.

Drop heaping spoonfuls of the dough onto the fruit, spacing them evenly (don't worry - the dough will not completely cover the fruit). Sprinkle with the raw sugar and sliced almonds. Bake until the filling is bubbling, the top is browned and a toothpick inserted into the topping comes out clean - about 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, preferably with a good vanilla ice cream.

Serves 8-10



adapted from this Williams-Sonoma recipe, via Creature Comforts' Ultimate Blackberry Recipe Roundup