Blackberries are now in Season!
I priced them at walmart and I was stunned to find they were nearly $3.50 for about 2 cups of blackberries!
Anyone can find Blackberries anywhere! Don't pay for them... pick them!! Watch for snakes though! My husband and I went a half a mile down our road and found a small patch of blackberries on the side of the road.
One recipe that I love to cook during blackberry season is, of course, Blackberry cobbler. It's sooo easy to make. Anyone can do it. It's definitely not an exact science so there are not precise measurements, but trust me don't feel overwhelmed you CAN do it. I wrote this recipe very thorough in consideration for someone that is totally thumbs in the kitchen.
INGREDIENTS:
(Measurements are dependant on how much cobbler you want to make.)
*Sugar (about one cup)
*Butter 2tbs
*blackberries (about 2 or 2 1/2 cups) washed
*Canned buscuits (I used 2 cans)
*Flour or cornstarch (a very small amount - used to thicken)
COOKING THINGS I USED:
(Some of these may not be necessary - it is just what I used)
* Baking dish (I used an 11x8)
* Large hole strainer
* small hole strainer
* Medium pot
* Brush
* Pizza cutter
1) Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
2) Lightly spray the bottom and side of baking dish
3) Put allready washed blackberries in your pot and COVER the blackberries with water (Don't
put to much water- just COVER the blackberries) Boil for about 10 min. until all the juice is
extracted from berries. All berries will become soft and pinkish.
4) Strain the blackberries in your large strainer while preserving the juice. (DON'T FORGET TO
PRESERVE YOUR JUICE!!!!) Mash the blackberries to get all the juice out of them and then you can just disgard the blackberries.
5) (Now, If you like seeds then this step is not necessary. But I can't stand seeds so this is what you need to do if you don't like seeds in your cobbler either.) Strain the juice with a smaller hole stainer (if you don't have a small hole stainer you could use a pillowcase to strain juice -this is the way my aunt does it, but I find that it is a little messy)
6) Put the juice you just strained back on the stove on low-med heat
7) Add 2 tb of butter (this is so it won't boil over or create foam. And it will give a smooth taste to
the juice.)
8) Add your sugar to taste (I added 1 cup. I had about 2 cups of blackberries) but depending on how much juice you have you may need more or less.
9) Stir sugar and butter until dissolved
10) Meanwhile, pinch off 1/2 inch portions of buscuit dough from buscuits. Do about one can of buscuits.
11) Now, roll out some strips of buscuits for the topping. Set aside. (TIP: sprinkle with flour so the dough won't stick together.) Just do enough for the topping.
12) Now, slowly put buscuits in the juice in the pot on the stove. You want to just put one layer of buscuits in the juice. I'm sorry it's not exact. But for a hint... You would be better off if you underdo it than overdo it and put to many buscuits.
13) Once you've cooked the buscuit and juice mixture - CONGRATULATIONS! You just made blackberry dumplings. haha. You will know when it's done cooking when the juice resembles a thin gravy. (If your juice is not getting thickened throw a very very small amount of flour or cornstrach and stir until lumps are mostly dissolved.)
14) Pour that mixture into your prepared baking dish and lattice with dough strips that you previously made.
15) Brush cobbler with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.
16) Bake for 20 - 30 min. or until dough on top is lightly brown and cobbler is bubbly on the sides.
YUM YUM!!!! Ready to eat!!
