Mixed Berry Cobbler
There is nothing more summery than a warm, rich cobbler. This mixed berry cobbler is a combination of jammy, sweet blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries layered with a lightly sweet whole wheat biscuit topping and baked to bubbly perfection.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
Mixed Filling
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ c cold water
- 6 c mixed berries, frozen or fresh (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and/or cherries)
- ⅓ c sugar
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 lemon, zested
Biscuits
- ½ c white whole wheat flour
- ½ c unbleached all purpose flour
- ⅓ c sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 Tbsp vegan, low fat, or unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- ¼ c boiling water
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan, dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix in the berries and stir well to combine.
- Bring the berry mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat until the berries are simmering. Simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer the cooked berries to a 2 quart oval baking dish, 9 inch pie pan, or 8 inch square cake pan. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix with a fork to combine. Cut in 4 tablespoons of chilled and cubed butter and distribute the butter using a pastry cutter. Work the butter in until small pebbles appear in the flour mixture. Stir in the boiling water and mix to incorporate.
- Turn out the biscuit dough on a large sheet of parchment paper. Break the dough into small pieces and flatten with your palm to form rough round biscuits about ½ inch thick. The dough will be slightly sticky, so you may need to refrigerate a few minutes before forming.
- Evenly place the biscuits on top of the berry mixture. Depending on the width of the pan used, the biscuits may or may not cover the majority of the berry mixtures.
- Bake the cobbler 20 to 25 minutes, or until the berries are bubbling and the biscuits are lightly golden brown. Note that depending on your oven, this cobbler may take up to 40 minutes to cook.
- Remove from heat and let it cool for about 20 minutes to allow the berry filling to thicken. Serve alone or with your favorite ice cream!
Notes
- What is the difference between pie and cobbler - pies are made with pastry dough lining the bottom and sides of the pan and sometimes over the top of the filling as well. Conversely, cobblers feature berry filling that is topped with sweet biscuit dough and don't typically have a bottom or side crust. However, in the south it is more common for cobblers to also have a thick bottom crust, similar to pies.
- How do you make cobbler not runny - add cornstarch to the berry mixture to make it thicker and less runny. You can also use fresh berries instead of frozen, as they will have lower water content and result in a more robust filling. Or modify the berry makeup to include more berries that are lower in water content, like blackberries.
- Can I freeze cobbler - yes! But it's best to make the berry filling only and not the biscuits, as the biscuits will not raise well once frozen. Allow the filling to cool, then freeze it up to 3 months. When you want to make the cobbler, thaw the filling in the fridge overnight, then make the biscuit dough fresh and proceed as written in the recipe.
- Can I use frozen berries in cobbler - yes! We use frozen berries in the winter when fresh berries aren't as readily available or juicy. Just note that the cobbler may be a little runnier than when using fresh berries.