Blackberry Cobbler

Blackberry cobbler baked in an 8-inch cast iron skillet is the quintessential American summer dessert. The technique here is a touch more refined than most cobbler recipes. Cornstarch dissolved in cold water gets stirred into the blackberries and sugar, and the whole filling brings up to a stovetop boil to start the thickening before the biscuit topping ever goes on. Pre-thickening guarantees the finished cobbler holds its shape on the spoon rather than running.

The biscuit topping uses an unusual hot water method. Six tablespoons of cold butter cut into the dry ingredients, then a quarter cup of boiling water stirred in to form the dough. The hot water partially melts the butter into pockets that steam the topping into tender, almost cake-like biscuits as they bake.

Dropping spoonfuls of dough directly onto the boiling fruit (rather than rolling out and laying over the top) leaves gaps where the bubbling purple syrup pushes through and stains the biscuits a beautiful violet. This is a feature, not a bug. Those exposed fruit pockets caramelize into the best bites.

Bake on a foil-lined sheet to catch any inevitable berry juice spills. The 400F (205C) oven is hot enough to brown the biscuits within 25 minutes without overbaking the filling.

Pro Tips

• Use a well-seasoned cast iron skillet for best heat retention. The skillet stays hot during the cool oven preheat which gives the bottom of the filling a slight bake.
• Don’t overmix the biscuit dough. Stir just until it forms. Overworked dough yields tough biscuits.
• Pick over the blackberries carefully. One sour or rotten berry can flavor the entire filling.
• Serve warm. Cobbler with cold vanilla ice cream melting into the hot fruit is the only correct way.

Variations

• Mix in 1 cup raspberries or blueberries with the blackberries for mixed-berry cobbler.
• Add ¼ teaspoon almond extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla to the filling.
• Sprinkle the biscuit tops with coarse sugar before baking for extra crunch and sparkle.