Blackberry
Cobbler from the Deep South
Like little birds
waiting on a worm, my sister Margaret Ann, housekeeper Sara, and I had watched
the vine behind the wild plum thicket grow tiny white flowers. As the weather
became warmer, the tiny flowers had turned into small red berries, and then
into large blackberries. They were finally ready, and now it was time to pick
them.
So, swinging my bucket in one hand and holding
Sara�s hand with the other, we worked our way into the thicket and back into
the sunshine to reach the berries growing on the old farm fence. We picked and
picked the sweet ripe blackberries until our bucket would not hold another
berry. And home we went to make blackberry cobbler. And, I am still making it
50 years later. Enjoy this old timey recipe, and in addition, the one below for
Strawberry Shortcake.
Southern
Blackberry Cobbler
1/2 stick butter
4-5 cups fresh blackberries- or 4-5 cups frozen blackberries, thawed (depends on size)
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup self-rising flour
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup sugar for sprinkling on blackberries
Preheat oven to 350� F.
Melt the butter in an 8 x 8 or equivalent size
baking dish.
Mix sugar, flour and buttermilk together. Pour the
batter over the melted butter. Do not stir.
Place blackberries in a bowl and top with 3/4 cup
sugar. Spread blackberries on top of batter and pour over any leftover
sugar from the bottom of the bowl. Do not stir.
Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes or batter is
firm.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Strawberry
Shortcake
When I think of strawberry shortcake, I think of
deep red, deliciously ripe berries that are just oozing with juice, spooned
over sponge cake. And if my mother were making the shortcake, the berries would
have a little vanilla ice cream on top and more berry juice would be spooned
over the ice cream, and then the whole thing would be crowned with deliciously
sweetened whipped cream and another berry on top!
Good gracious, how can you get more decadent than
that?
Sponge
Cake:
1 cup vegetable shortening
1-1/4 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup milk
4 eggs beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups self-rising flour
Mix sugar and shortening and blend well. Add eggs,
beating thoroughly. Add vanilla. Add milk and flour, alternating between milk
and flour. Place batter into 2 greased and floured 9-inch cake pans and bake
until firm and golden brown, about 15-20 minutes in a 350� preheated oven.
Check for doneness with a cake tester or toothpick. Set layers aside to cool
completely.
Strawberries:
2 cake layers
3 cups sliced strawberries (save a few whole berries for decoration)
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups mashed strawberries with 3/4 cup sugar
Sweetened whipped cream
Add the � cup sugar to the 3 cups
sliced strawberries.
Set aside or place in the refrigerator until ready
to use.
Add 3/4 cup sugar to the 3 cups mashed
strawberries.
Sweetened
whipped cream:
2 cups heavy cream
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat the cream until frothy, add the sugar and
vanilla and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
Assembly:
Place the first cake layer on a deep cake plate or
platter. Spoon � the mashed strawberries on the cake layer. On the edge of the
first cake layer place some of the sliced strawberries so that when the second
layer is added these slices will be peeking out. Place the second cake layer on
top and spoon the remaining berries on this layer. Add a layer of sliced
strawberries to the top layer over the mashed berries. Mound sweetened whipped
cream in the center. Top with several whole berries.� Use the remaining cream to put on the plate
with individual servings.
Serves 8-10 slices.
Visit Chef Linda at her website:� www.cheflindaweiss.com
and her blog:�
www.lindaallaboutfood.blogspot.com
Linda�s first book, Memories
From Home, Cooking with Family & Friends
is available at Amazon.com
or at her website.