We now live in Denver but identify as Pacific Northwesterners. Cindy grew up in Spokane, Washington and Corinne moved to Salem, Oregon right before her senior year of High School. She married a guy from there, and after school they moved back to Portland, Oregon and spent 10 years there before leaving to Denver. Four of their six children were born in Seattle and Portland. We really consider that area to be “home.”
If you have never spent a July or August in the PNW then maybe you don’t know that blackberries grow WILD and FREE all over the place! They are like weeds, and if they are in your yard, then good luck managing and controlling them! But also, if they are in your yard then YAY! You have easy access to all the blackberry goodness! Last summer I was in Portland for a quick visit. I stopped at my friend Brittany’s house, and we picked a few buckets of blackberries from her yard that I packed into a medium, soft-shell cooler with icepacks that I had brought with me. I flew them home to Denver and made jam! Best jam ever, and the berries were FREE!
Back in the day, we would go for a walk in the morning, with buckets, pick berries along the way, come home and make cobbler. We would do this at least once a week during blackberry season and I cherish the memories and pictures we have of those days.
Last week when I saw these gorgeous berries on sale, I knew that Blackberry Cobbler was the PERFECT use for them. Also, it was by oldest son’s 25th birthday and I KNEW that he would be especially excited about some Blackberry Cobbler.
If you do not have fresh blackberries, then frozen ones will work. Measure 6 cups of berries and then pour a 1/2 cup sugar over the top. Carefully stir till the berries are all coated in the sugar. Set aside.
I LOVE this vintage dish I am using for the cobbler. I bought it at Goodwill or The Arc or someplace like that years ago! I love looking for old, “one of a kind” dishes like this at secondhand shops! It feels SO much better to buy a cool piece like this that has been loved and used for decades, and for a much smaller amount of money, as opposed to buying brand new pieces that everyone has and pay full price.
Place the 4 TBSP of butter in the dish you are using. A deep 10 inch round will work, or a 9×13 will work. I have made this yummy treat in many different kinds of dishes.
Place the dish with butter into the cold oven, then turn on the oven to preheat to 375 degrees. This way the oven and the dish will both preheat. The butter will melt while you are getting the batter prepped and ready to go.
Start the batter by mixing together all the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl using a whisk. Using the whisk on the dry ingredients will smooth them out. It almost has the same affect as sifting.
Then slowly add in the milk. Whisk until smooth and there are no dry clumps but be careful not to overmix the batter. Scrape the sides as you go and clean out the whisk also to make sure all the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Now remove the preheated HOT dish from the oven. Carefully tilt it around in a circle till butter has coated the full bottom of the dish. REMEMBER as you work to finish assembling the recipe that the dish is hot!
Pour the batter evenly over the top of the butter. Next, spoon the berries over the top of the batter. Make sure that all the sides and corners all get filled with berries.
Cobbler is a FUN science experiment. It is an educational baking experience that is perfect for kids! We put it in the oven with the berries on top, but it comes out with the batter on top and the berries on the bottom! SO cool! How did that happen? A perfect teaching moment!
Do NOT stir the layers. Place it in the oven just like this. Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes. If the dish is deeper, but smaller OR if the berries were frozen then it may need to bake a little longer. I like to do a jiggle test to make sure it is done. If it does not move like liquid, but moves very slightly, then it is done. Also, look for it to be mostly golden brown over the top.
Be sure to serve it up A’ la mode with some Tillamook Vanilla ice cream for the complete Oregon flavor.
If you LOVE this recipe, then try out these others that are similar!
- Raspberry Tart aka Bakewell Tart
- French Strawberry Cake
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
- Raspberry Hand Pies (Turnovers)
- Easy Raspberry Tart
- Fair Scones with Raspberry Jam
- Strawberry Croissant Bread Pudding
Blackberry Cobbler
Classic cobbler can be made with fresh or frozen blackberries. Best served warm with ice cream.
Ingredients
- 6 cups Blackberries Fresh is best, frozen can be used
- ½ cup white sugar
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups white sugar
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- If the berries are fresh, rinse them and place in bowl. If frozen, keep frozen and place in bowl.
- Pour the ½ cup sugar over the berries then carefully stir them till the sugar is coating the berries. Set aside.
- Place the 4 Tbsp of butter in a 9x13 baking dish. (or a smaller dish for a deeper cobbler) Put the dish with the butter into a cold oven. Turn the oven on to preheat to 375°.
- While the oven and dish are preheating, mix up the batter. In a medium sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients with a whisk. Slowly add the milk while whisking to combine with no dry lumps.
- Carefully remove the dish from the oven. Remember as you finish up, that this dish is HOT. Slowly tilt the dish around in a circle to coat the bottom of the dish with the butter.
- Pour the batter on top of the butter, then spoon the berries evenly over the top of the batter. Use hot pads to place the dish back in the oven. Bake 45-50 minutes. If the berries are frozen, it may need to bake a bit longer.
- When it is mostly golden brown on top and does not move like liquid when you do a "jiggle test" then it is done. Serve warm with ice cream.