Blackberry Cobbler

While we were in Billings, my generous mom bought me a copy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks. I read the cookbook cover to cover in 2 days (yes, I read cookbooks like novels, doesn't everybody?) and returned home excited to try the recipes inside. While most of the recipes can be found (and printed) online, it is so fun to be able to have the pictures right there in the kitchen while I cook.

I was hoping to go to the book signing that Ree did in Denver today, but after hearing how long the lines were in SLC on Thursday, I decided that it would pretty much be torture to my two kids to do an all-day downtown excursion. I could have left them with their dad, but how fun is that? So we are staying in and decorating Valentine's Day sugar cookies instead (stay tuned for that recipe, it's a keeper)!

We got some beautiful blackberries from Costco earlier this week. Such a treat in the middle of February!

Of course, Costco fruit is sold in large containers so I've made smoothies, fruit salad, and considered making Blackberries and Cream again. Instead, I made Blackberry Cobbler from the Pioneer Woman cookbook:

So so good. Here's how:

printable recipe

Blackberry Cobbler

1 stick butter

1 1/4 cup + 1 tsp sugar, divided

1 cup self-rising flour OR 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 tsp baking powder (scant tsp for us high-altitude folks)

1 cup milk

2 cups blackberries, rinsed and dried

Preheat oven to 350F. Melt butter in microwavable dish. I have no picture, but we all know what melted butter looks like, right? Right.

Whisk milk, 1 cup of the sugar, and the flour (and baking powder if using all-purpose flour) together in a medium-sized bowl.

Pour in the melted butter and whisk until well-blended.

Butter your baking dish. Ree doesn't really say what kind or size to use, but the closest thing I had to her pictures was my deep pie dish, and that worked great.

Pour the batter into the baking dish.

Arrange the blackberries evenly on top of the batter.

Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of sugar. Bake at 350F for 1 hour, sprinkling with 1 tsp of sugar when there is 10 minutes of baking time left. I forgot the final sugar sprinkling and thought the cobbler was plenty sweet, although I imagine the last little bit of sugar makes a nice crust on top.

I'm not sure why my cobbler had a funny leaf-shaped design on top when it first came out. Once it cooled it wasn't really noticable.

And once I served it, no one cared at all. Definitely serve this warm, vanilla ice cream or whipped cream optional. Yum.

Blackberries and Cream

Blackberries were on sale and I had some extra cream from making Broccoli Cheese Soup so I pulled this recipe off of the Pioneer Woman website and gave it a try. I quartered the ingredients since I was only serving my husband and myself. I also cooked it a little longer than she did, on purpose, because I wanted it to be a little thicker. The result? It tasted a little like creme brulee without the carmelized top, add blackberries. We loved it.

Here is the recipe, in two serving proportion. You can see the original recipe, which serves 8, by clicking here.

Blackberries and Cream

printable recipe 

4 oz heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) sugar, divided

2.5 egg yolks (yeah, I know, I was quartering the recipe, remember?)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

fresh blackberries (I'm sure raspberries or blueberries would be tasty as well)

Heat cream and 2 Tbsp sugar in small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Bring to a strong simmer, but do not boil.

Whisk egg yolks with rest of sugar (2 Tbsp) in a bowl. I used my Kitchenaid. Add vanilla extract. Whisk on medium for 1 minute then slowly add cream mixture while continuing to whisk.

After all cream is added, pour mixture into the top of a double boiler. Heat over medium heat and gently stir until mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat and place pot in bowl of ice (don't let the ice get in the cream though). 

Stir to cool. Remove to a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.

Spoon into a small bowl and cover with blackberries.